The Gunners are going to have to beat the current Champions League holders to reach the semi-finals, with Los Blancos having edged city rivals Atletico Madrid on penalties in the last round.
It’s set to be an exciting end to the season for Real Madrid, who are just three points behind leaders Barcelona, while they are also still in the Champions League and have recently booked a spot in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona on April 26.
But such efforts have taken their toll on the Spanish giants, who are dealing with a number of issues currently. Eder Militao remains out having struggled with injury all season, while Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy are both sidelined. To make matters worse, Aurelian Tchouameni is suspended for the quarter-final first leg.
Elsewhere, starting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is absent with a small knee injury that will have him a doubt for the Arsenal game, and second goalkeeper Andriy Lunin has a calf issue. That leaves Real Madrid with young goalkeeper Fran Gonzalez, who usually represents the B team - Castilla - this weekend.
If the injuries were not bad enough, Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Dani Ceballos are all under investigation for their celebrations after the win over Atletico Madrid in the last round. Mbappe is said to have grabbed his genitals while looking at the Atleti fans, while Rudiger reportedly did a throat cutting gesture, and it’s no secret that UEFA do not like celebrations inferring violence or threats.
Rudiger and Mbappe will be sweating during the investigation, with UEFA able to hand out bans that could make them doubts for the Arsenal game, and combined with the injuries and suspension elsewhere, Real Madrid could be short-handed for the Arsenal clash.
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