Federico Valverde is set to make his return to the starting lineup for Real Madrid in the highly anticipated clash against Atletico Madrid.
According to reports from AS, the Uruguayan midfielder has fully recovered from his injury and is expected to start at right-back.
Not only that, but he could even wear the captain’s armband, depending on whether Luka Modric features in the lineup.
Real Madrid have been cautious
Valverde’s absence has been noticeable in recent matches. He has only started once in Real Madrid’s last five games, which was in the first leg.
Before that, he was used as a substitute against Girona and given a complete rest against Real Sociedad and Real Betis.
When Real Madrid faced Rayo Vallecano, he was left on the bench for most of the game, playing just 23 minutes towards the end.
Despite this limited involvement in recent weeks, Valverde remains the most-used player in the entire squad this season, accumulating 3,581 minutes.
Federico Valverde will return to starting XI against Atletico Madrid. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
A small injury, some discomfort, and a necessary recovery period kept him sidelined for 24 days due to issues with his left femoral biceps.
While these past few weeks have been challenging for him, the wait is over as he is fully fit again.