One of the reasons Mbappe doesn’t play in his preferred position is that Ancelotti can use Vinicius Jr. on the left and Jude Bellingham on the right.

Bellingham, like Mbappe, has struggled to achieve the form he is capable of and has only scored two goals in 13 games in all competitions this season.

He scored those two goals in his last two games, suggesting he could be returning to form after a slow start to the season, already marred by injury.

But it is in stark contrast to his incredible start to his debut season at Real last year, when he scored 11 goals in his first 12 appearances for the club.

“At the moment Jude Bellingham is doing a lot of defensive and offensive work,” said European football expert Mina Rzouki.

“There needs to be a better balance in midfield.”

But while Bellingham and Mbappé have yet to find their best form, Vinicius Jr. has been successful this season.

The Brazilian striker has scored 12 goals in 16 games, including a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Osasuna on November 9.

And Liverpool fans will be relieved to see him ruled out on Wednesday with a hamstring injury because they won’t forget his performance at Anfield last year when he scored the first two goals in a five-a-side game Real Madrid came from a two-goal deficit to usher in a -2 win.

In total, he has already scored five goals against the Reds and four in this Champions League season, making him a big loss for Real.