Coach Carlo Ancelotti said Real Madrid will make a late decision on whether midfielder -- and stand-in full-back -- Federico Valverde is fit enough to play against Atlético Madrid in their Champions League round-of-16 first leg on Tuesday.
Valverde excelled at right-back in Madrid's knockout phase playoff elimination of Manchester City, but missed the team's Copa del Rey semifinal first leg win at Real Sociedad last week, and their 2-1 LaLiga defeat at Real Betis on Saturday, with Ancelotti blaming "discomfort."
Madrid are already without first-choice right-back Dani Carvajal -- a long-term absentee with an ACL tear -- and have issues in midfield, with Dani Ceballos suffering a hamstring injury, and Jude Bellingham suspended against Atlético.
"[Valverde] trained [on Sunday] on his own and felt good," Ancelotti said in a news conference on Monday. "Today he trains with the team, and after training we'll take a decision if he can play or not."
Ancelotti confirmed that if Valverde were unavailable against Atlético, Lucas Vázquez would step in at right-back.
Real Madrid's meetings with Atlético so far this season have been tight, with both LaLiga games ending 1-1.
"It's a tie which will be even," Ancelotti said, when asked if his team need to take a decisive first-leg advantage at the Bernabéu. "It will be decided in the second leg. The objective is to play well, to take a lead into the return leg, but nothing else. We can't think about taking a big lead tomorrow. That's impossible."
Madrid were poor in their loss at Betis, in a display which Ancelotti said he hoped was "an isolated case."
"Our idea of how to play won't change," he said. "We have to be aware of the players who've rested who could have more chances like Raúl [Asencio], [Eduardo] Camavinga, we have to look at those things. We won't strengthen the midfield or remove a forward. We have to stick to the same idea."
Atlético coach Diego Simeone -- whose team are two points ahead of Real in the LaLiga table -- described the tie as "a game with a lot of respect."
"I think they [Real Madrid] respect us in the same way," he said. "It's a spectacular game for the city. We'll enjoy it."