Real Madrid News
Albacete defender to miss Real Madrid reunion in Copa del Rey due to injury
Albacete and Real Madrid are set to face off later tonight in their Round of 16 clash in the Copa del Rey, but this is not the first time the lower-division club have had their name linked with Los Blancos.
After all, the two clubs indirectly were involved in business in the last summer transfer window when Real Madrid’s defender Jesus Vallejo left the club at the end of his contract and signed for Albacete where he has had prominence.
One of the storylines ahead of tonight’s game, thus, was the Merengues finding a familiar face in the opposition lineup but Mundo Deportivo reveals that it will not happen anymore.
Out through injury
Indeed, as reported by the Spanish outlet, Vallejo has not made Albacete’s squad list to face Real Madrid later today despite the team waiting until the very end. He has not recovered and will not be able to play against his former team.
While Real Madrid will not read too much into his absence, it does indeed come as a missed opportunity for the player who could have had a good tussle against his former teammates. Fitness, however, denies him that opportunity.
The 29-year-old defender scored a vital equaliser for his team in the 93rd minute of their game against Celta Vigo in the last round and thus helped take the match to penalties where Albacete knocked out the Galician side.
His absence, needless to say, is a massive blow for the opponents in that sense. He joins the list of absentees for the hosts which already includes Higinio Marin, Jon Garcia, and Antonio Puertas.
“Football has these things, it is an unexpected sport. After the victory against Celta, anything could happen and so it has.”
“Let’s hope they arrive very tired from the Super Cup and we can prepare a good game here at home,” he said in a recent interview when asked about facing Real Madrid.
Given that Real Madrid enter with a new coach and fresh off a defeat to Barcelona, they will be vulnerable and Albacete will more than believe in their chances on the night, exactly as claimed by Vallejo in the above interview.
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
🆚 @ElcheCF
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