Carlo Ancelotti hints that Antonio Rudiger could be dropped for Eder Militao against Man City and admits to 'error' in previous press conference

• Rudiger might not start against Man City
• Militao back after first-leg suspension
• Tie locked at 1-1 after tense first leg

WHAT HAPPENED? Ancelotti appeared to confirm two days ago that Rudiger would be among the starting XI for Wednesday's second leg clash at the Etihad. However, he has since backtracked on that statement, clarifying that he thought he was being asked about Rodrygo when discussing his potential lineup.

Usual starter Eder Militao was suspended for the first leg of the contest, leaving Ancelotti little choice but to start Rudiger and David Alaba in central defence. Having him back presents something of a headache for the manager, and his comments suggest that Rudiger - who performed superbly in the first leg - might be the man to lose his place.

WHAT THEY SAID: "I want to apologise because it was an error. I thought I was being asked about Rodyrgo as he was not on the bench. It [the return of Militao] makes the starting XI harder. I've got a very clear idea. If we win then I will have got the line-up wrong, if we lose then I will have messed it up," Ancelotti said in a pre-match press conference.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Ancelotti also suggested that Madrid might have a mental edge over the Premier League leaders: "The match is unpredictable, even if you think you're the best team in the world you cant be 100% sure. It's a problem of personality, character, mentality that you are able to show on the pitch. It's not only a question of quality."

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WHAT NEXT? Ancelotti's side will line up against Man City tomorrow night, when his exact XI, and centre-back pairing, will be revealed.