Carlo Ancelotti expects to have several players back from injury in time for Real Madrid's Champions League opener against Stuttgart on Tuesday. (More Football News)
Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchou♛ameni and Eder Militao are set to be available for the match at the Santiago Ber🃏nabeu, despite the Brazilian missing training as he required an extra day to recover fully.
Madrid won their record-exten𝐆ding 15th Champions League title last season, beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the final to get their hands on the trophy.
Los Blancos were a force to be reckoned with in the compe♈tition last year, and were only behind for 7% of their total match time iꦑn the Champions League last season; the lowest percentage of any team.
Former mainstays Nacho, Joselu and the now-retired Toni Kroos are no longer part of the squad, and Madrid will also be without Eduarꦉdo Camavinga through injury.
Ho🐓wever, Ancelotti said he was excited to start their title defence with "the best player in the world" Kylian Mbappe.
"Yes, we lost Nacho and♓ Kroos,♕ two of our most important players. And Joselu. In exchange, one of the best players in the world is coming. Do we have a better squad than last year? I think so," Ancelotti told reporters on Monday.
Meanwhile, it was Carvajal, who scored the opening goal in their triumph over🔯 Dortmund, who confiꦬrmed Bellingham's involvement, noting his importance to the side.
"Jude's 🎉return is fantastic news for us. We know what he contributes with and without the ball," defend🧔er Dani Carvajal said.
"We dꦏemand much more from ourselves and tomorrow is a new opportunity𝓡 to continue growing."
All three European club competitions have been expanded to 36 teams this season and Ancelotti's side will also be taking part in the expaℱnded men's 32-team Club World Cup, starting next June in the United S🌄tates.
Forward Brahim Diaz was the latest player to be sidelined in a slew of injuries, and Ancelotti said their gruelling 𓆉schedule was to blame.
"The calendar▨ is too demanding. A new competition is coming, and we don't know how it will turn out," he added.
"It may or may not be more entertaining. The fact is ♏that𝔍 we have two more games in this competition."
The Italian, who has won the Champions League five times as a manager and twice as a pla🦂yer, said the competition holds a place above all else in his heart.
"For me this competition is very special, not only for the club. But it's not just that, 🎃it'ꦕs the day-to-day work to get there," he said.
"The [Champions League] will always be the same even if they change the format a little and [its relation with] Real Madrid, the same. This [year] is going to be another [chance] a♓t history and I hope we can reach the final ♔like last year."
