Former Chelsea defender will be dropped to the bench by Real Madrid

Chelsea have received a significant boost as their former defender who has turned world class since leaving the club will start on the bench. That’s according to the latest lineup news from journalist Miguel Angel Diaz, who has claimed that David Alaba and Eder Militao will be the centre back pairing of choice from Los Blancos.

So, no Antonio Rudiger. Despite how well the former Chelsea man has played this season, not just in the World Cup but also at the Santiago Bernabeu on a consistent basis.

Regardless of what fans might think of him, Rudiger is world class. Therefore, it’s good for them that they might not deal with him tonight. Particularly when you consider how poor the Blues attack has been, they’ll want to face as little obstacles as possible.

People are quick to write off Frank Lampard’s Chelsea and rightly so. With the away goal rule scrapped, playing away from home first is essentially redundant. Los Blancos will have the home crowd on their side and will want to put this fixture to bed before it’s even started.

Having dismantled Liverpool already this season, Chelsea seem like easy pickings. Of course, it doesn’t always work like this, but the Blues aren’t exactly thriving for form and they’ve struggled against teams who aren’t fit to tie Real Madrid’s laces.

Truth be told, no matter the lineup which Real Madrid field, Chelsea will struggle. They might be stronger in some positions on paper, but the London club does not bode well and they don’t play as a collective strong unit. Therefore, Rudiger not starting might be a boost, but actually taking advantage of that is another story.

For the latest Chelsea lineup news, click here.

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