Real Madrid vs Manchester City: Are Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham in the Squad, Ready to Play?

Two Real Madrid stars, Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham, are back in the squad traveling to Etihad Stadium, the home of Manchester City for the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16. The match is scheduled for Wednesday, March 18th, early morning Western Indonesia Time.

The presence of these two key players provides additional options for Madrid as they attempt to secure their quarter-final ticket. However, although included in the squad, there is no certainty whether either will start.

Mbappé has felt discomfort in his left knee since early December and hasn't played since February 21st. Meanwhile, Bellingham has been sidelined longer after suffering a Hamstring Injury since February 1st.

According to Champions League regulations, each team is allowed to register up to 12 players on the substitute bench.

This situation opens the possibility for Mbappé to get playing minutes if his fitness progress in the final training session shows positive results.

Madrid arrives in Manchester with a significant advantage. In the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Los Blancos won convincingly 3-0 thanks to a hat-trick from Federico Valverde.

Mbappé actually continued playing for a while despite the knee issue. The French striker was even still scoring goals consistently before eventually having to step aside for recovery.

Madrid described the injury to the French National Team star as a knee sprain. Coach Álvaro Arbeloa explained last month that the club chose to give Mbappé rest time to allow a full recovery before returning to play.

Throughout this season, Mbappé has been highly productive, scoring 38 goals in 33 matches across all competitions for Madrid.

Meanwhile, Bellingham traveled to London to consult with a specialist regarding his Hamstring Injury. The visit was made alongside the club's medical staff to ensure the recovery process is optimized.

The England National Team midfielder suffered the injury when Madrid won 2-1 against Rayo Vallecano.

Despite being absent recently, his contribution this season remains significant, with six goals and four assists recorded from 28 matches in all competitions.

Besides Mbappé and Bellingham, Madrid has also brought back several players who missed the first leg, including Álvaro Carreras and David Alaba.

However, not all players could travel to Manchester. Ferland Mendy and Raúl Asencio are not in the squad. Dani Ceballos is still sidelined due to a calf injury sustained since February.

Two Brazilian players, Éder Militão and Rodrygo, also remain absent as they recover from long-term injuries.