Carlo Ancelotti is set to be handed a fresh blow for their clash against Arsenal with Ferland Mendy reportedly due to miss their second leg. (Image: Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Real Madrid defender Ferland Mendy will miss their second leg against Arsenal as Carlo Ancelotti’s side look to do the unthinkable and turn around a three-goal deficit in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Mikel Merino continued his fine goal-scoring form against Los Blancos as he rounded-off the scoring with a superb left-footed effort, curling into the bottom corner beyond Thibaut Courtois.

Federico Valverde deputised for Frenchman Mendy, who has been sidelined since their dramatic win over Atletico Madrid in the last-16, with Lucas Vazquez also featuring in the right-back slot for Ancelotti’s side.

According to Marca, meanwhile, Mendy will not be fit in time for Arsenal’s visit to the Spanish capital – as his injury problems continue.

Spanish journalist J L Calderon has outlined that next Wednesday night’s showdown at the Santiago Bernabeu will come too soon for the 29-year-old but the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona at the end of April could be a likely return for the full-back.

“The plan has shifted from trying to have him ready for the Emirates to now aiming to have him fit for the Copa del Rey final in La Cartuja on April 26,” he said.

Despite their heavy defeat, the Champions League record-holders are not ruling out the tie yet. Ancelotti said: “We have to throw everything in the bin.

“It’s very difficult to recover, their quality is very high, so organised.

“Normally this team raise their game towards the end of games. It was disappointing – it was poor. We have to be critical of ourselves here and do everything we can next week to recover.

“The possibilities (of qualifying) are quite low, but we have to try 100 per cent.

“We have to do all we can, it’s an opportunity to show a response to a poor game. If you look at the game tonight, there is no possibility.

“But football changes. Nobody expected that Rice scores two goals from set pieces. Everything can happen.

“We need to believe, we need to have trust because, sometimes, lots of time in the Bernabeu, it happened.”

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