Real Madrid have included Aurelien Tchouameni in their 22-man squad for Wednesday's Champions League trip to Manchester City, despite the Frenchman being suspended.
Los Blancos head to the home of the European champions after a pulsating 3-3 draw in the first leg at the Bernabeu last week, when the 24-year-old picked up a caution in the early stages.
After Bernardo Silva opened the scoring for the Citizens, an own goal from Ruben Dias and a first-half strike from Rodrygo had Madrid ahead at the interval.
Completing a turnaround of their own, Pep Guardiola's men regained control of the tie courtesy of long-range efforts by Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol, however the hosts managed to level the scores in the closing 15 minutes via midfielder Federico Valverde.
Therefore, Wednesday's meeting between two European powerhouses on the blue side of Manchester is perfectly poised, although Los Blancos will be without the services of a first-team regular.
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Real Madrid include Tchouameni despite suspension
With just 39 seconds on the clock at the Bernabeu last week, Tchouameni brought down Jack Grealish with a sliding tackle and received the first booking of the contest.
Having now picked up three yellow cards in the Champions League this term, the Frenchman is not available for selection for the Etihad clash on Wednesday.
However, in a strange move, Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti has still included Tchouameni in the 22-man visiting squad for the 14-time European champions.
Real have a history of involving suspended players in matchday squads, with the La Liga giants being kicked out of the Copa del Rey in 2015 after fielding an ineligible player.
Denis Cheryshev was meant to be serving a one-game suspension in the competition but featured in a round-of-32 match versus Cadiz, scoring in a 3-1 victory.
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Ancelotti's defensive dilemma
With Tchouameni suspended for Wednesday's winner-takes-all clash against Man City, Ancelotti must find a new partner for Antonio Rudiger at centre-back.
Nacho Fernandez played at the heart of Madrid's backline during their 1-0 win over Mallorca in La Liga on the weekend, however the Los Blancos team included a number of changes.
Luka Modric started in the engine room alongside Tchouameni, whilst Brahim Diaz and Joselu received rare berths in the XI as Ancelotti opted to rest the likes of Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr.
After making a number of substitute appearances following his return from a serious knee injury, Eder Militao is a genuine option at centre-back for the visitors on Wednesday.
Carter White
