Sergio Ramos will be at the Etihad on Friday for Real Madrid's Champions League match with Manchester City despite not being part of the matchday squad.
Ramos is suspended for the second leg of the last-16 clash after being shown a red card for hauling down Gabriel Jesus in the final moments of the 2-1 win for Pep Guardiola's side at the Bernabeu.
It gives the Blues another advantage for the return fixture as they don't have to cope with the influence of the Real Madrid captain on the pitch, a defender that has shown countless times he can dig his side out of a hole and inspire them to important victories - particularly in this competition where they have excelled.
So important is Ramos viewed within Zinedine Zidane's squad that, as reported by The Times, he will still travel to Manchester and be present in the stadium for the second leg despite not being available for selection. The 34-year-old will not be allowed to sit among the substitutes or the away coaching staff but is allowed in the dressing room.
Zidane has never lost a two-legged Champions League knockout tie, managing to win the competition three times with Real in just two-and-a-half years overseeing them between January 2016 and May 2018.
But the La Liga champions will have to overcome a first-leg deficit against a team that has won all six of their home games since football returned in June, scoring 24 goals and conceding just one in the process.
Whoever proceeds will be a strong favourite to win the overall competition, with Juventus or Lyon next up in the quarter-finals.
