Real Madrid News
Real Madrid 18-year-old prospect a ‘strong contender’ for debut vs CF Talavera
Real Madrid take on CF Talavera in their first Copa del Rey game in the Round of 32 on Wednesday night, in what should be a straightforward encounter for the team.
As such, rotations are expected to be made by manager Xabi Alonso, even more so considering the number of injuries in the squad.
Castilla youngster David Jimenez is expected to start at right-back, with no Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Fede Valverde needing a rest.
Thiago Pitarch also likely to play
Now, according to journalist Rodra of ESPN, young midfielder Thiago Pitarch is also a strong contender to start for Real Madrid against Talavera on Wednesday.
Just 18 years old, Thiago was a regular presence in the first-team squad under Xabi Alonso during the short pre-season and the early parts of the campaign, although he never made his official senior debut.
The youngster moved back to Castilla once the injured senior midfielders made their way back, but remains a player held in high regard by the club as well as Alonso.
Pitarch was named in the squad for the weekend win against Alaves, where he was an unused substitute.
Now, though, there appears to be a strong chance that the 18-year-old La Fabrica talent plays tomorrow against Talavera to make his first-team debut for Real Madrid.
So far this term, Pitarch has played 12 times for Castilla in all competitions, scoring and assisting one goal apiece. He also has one appearance for the Real Madrid C team.
A talented midfielder, the teenager has been knocking on the first-team doors throughout this season, and his chance might finally come tomorrow against CF Talavera.
Real Madrid will be looking to pick up their fifth win of the 2026/27 La Liga season when they take on Elche CF at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero later tonight.
With 12 points from five games, Los Blancos are currently second in the league table, three points below leaders FC Barcelona.
As such, the Spanish capital club will be eager to get the win and close the gap to the top.
Guler starts, Bellingham rested
Ahead of kickoff, Real Madrid have announced the starting lineup that will take the field against Elche, with Jose Mourinho making some important changes.
For starters, Arda Guler is back in the lineup after appearing as a substitute in the win over Rayo Vallecano.
Interestingly, however, he starts in the attacking midfield role, with Mourinho opting to rest Jude Bellingham, who has started all of Real Madrid’s games so far.
That also means that Yan Diomande retains his place in the team, starting for a second time in a row on the right wing. Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. continue in their respective positions in attack.
Another notable change sees Aurelien Tchouameni make his first start of the season after recovering from injury and making two appearances off the bench.
He replaces Bernardo Silva as Federico Valverde’s partner in the middle of the park.
Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marc Cucurella come in as full-backs, while Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen slot in at centre-back in front of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
📋✅ ¡Nuestro XI inicial!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) September 15, 2026
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