Ceballos, Courtois struggle to miss Arsenal clash

Real Madrid had no time for rest and returned to action on Sunday before flying to London to face Arsenal. Ceballos and Courtois were both tested to see if they can make the trip, while Mendy is ruled out, and Lunin also did not train.

Thibaut Courtois and Dani Ceballos underwent fitness tests during Real Madrid’s training session at their complex, with a focus on the upcoming Champions League clash against Arsenal.

Both players completed part of the session with the group to assess their fitness ahead of Tuesday’s quarter-final first leg in London.

The Real Madrid players put aside a La Liga campaign that has become more complicated following their defeat to Valencia, which extended their gap from Barcelona to four points, and instead focused on preparing for their visit to Arsenal, with Carlo Ancelotti paying particular attention to his goalkeepers.

While Andriy Lunin missed the session due to a calf injury, Courtois, who has been sidelined for the last three matches due to a muscle injury, took part in fieldwork for part of the session alongside his teammates.

The starters from the Valencia match had a recovery session. Raul Asencio, David Alaba, Jesus Vallejo, Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler, Rodrygo and Endrick all trained intensively in a short session lasting just under an hour, focusing on ball exercises and small-sided games.

Dani Ceballos joined them, making the final push for his return after completing some fitness work and ball drills to assess how he feels and decide whether he can make his comeback in the Champions League or will wait for the next La Liga match against Alaves.

Ferland Mendy is ruled out for London and continued his recovery plan, while players like Fede Valverde and Antonio Rudiger, who finished the match against Valencia with discomfort, are expected to be available for selection for the Champions League.

Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao are also unavailable due to knee injuries, and Aurelien Tchouameni is suspended. The only training session in which Ancelotti will be able to test potential changes to the starting lineup ahead of the Arsenal match will take place on Monday at the Emirates Stadium.