Champions League: Mbappe, Bellingham Back For Madrid Ahead Of Man City Clash

(MENAFN- IANS) Madrid, March 16 (IANS) Fifteen-time UEFA Champions League winners, Real Madrid, have been provided a double injury boost ahead of their highly anticipated Round of 16 second leg clash against the 2023 champions, Manchester City. Coach Alvaro Arbeloa has confirmed that their top goal-scorer, Kylian Mbappe, along with Jude Bellingham, are declared fit and included in the 26-man squad for Tuesday's match to be played at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.

Madrid take a 3-0 lead into the match against City after last week's first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Federico Valverde scored a first-half hat trick.

Neither Mbappe nor Bellingham featured in that game due to injury. Left-back Alvaro Carreras and central defender David Alaba also missed the match with calf problems, but both players have been named in the travelling squad.

Bellingham has missed Madrid's last nine games after suffering a hamstring injury early in a 2-1 home win over Rayo Vallecano at the start of February.

Mbappe has been dealing with discomfort in his left knee since before Christmas. Madrid have tried to manage the issue by resting him in selected games, including the defeat to Manchester City in December, the Spanish Super Cup semifinal, and last month's LaLiga win over Real Sociedad.

Mbappe has scored 38 goals in 33 games for Real Madrid and another eight goals for France. Only Bayern Munich's Harry Kane has scored more goals for club and country in one of Europe's top leagues this season (60).

He has scored 23 goals in La Liga and 13 in the Champions League this season.

If Manchester City win the second leg and advance to the next round, the team managed by Arbeloa would face the winner of Atalanta-Bayern in the quarterfinals.

The first leg will be played on April 7 or 8, and the return leg on April 14 or 15. The semifinals are scheduled for April 28 or 29 and May 5 or 6. The final will take place on May 30 at the Puskás Arena in Budapest.

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