Real Madrid News
Arbeloa could call up 18-year-old Real Madrid winger for Elche clash
Real Madrid may once again turn to their famous youth academy as preparations continue for the upcoming La Liga clash against Elche.
According to a report from MARCA, Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa has called up promising young winger Dani Yanez to train with the first team.
The 18-year-old talent took part in the latest training sessions and could now be included in the matchday squad for the upcoming fixture.
It must be noted that Arbeloa has shown a strong commitment to promoting players from the club’s academy, often referred to as La Fabrica.
With Real Madrid currently dealing with several absences, the need to look toward the academy has become even more important.
Reports suggest that the squad list for the Elche match could once again be heavily affected by unavailable players, with as many as nine members of the first-team group missing.
Attack is affected
This situation has particularly impacted the attacking department.
At the moment, Arbeloa only has three natural attacking options from the senior squad available, namely, Vinicius Jr., Brahim Diaz, and Gonzalo Garcia.
Because of these limitations, the coaching staff has been forced to look toward the reserve team for reinforcements.
One player who has frequently been included in recent squads is Cesar Palacios, and he is expected to be called up once again.
Alongside him, Manuel Angel, Thiago Pitarch, and Diego Aguado, all of whom have been progressing well within the academy system are expected to join him.
Then there is Yanez
However, the main new addition could be Dani Yanez.
The young winger has trained with the senior squad in the days leading up to the match and is now expected to be part of the extended group available to Arbeloa.
If included in the squad, Yanez would become the 16th academy player to feature in a first-team squad for Real Madrid this season and the eighth youth player promoted by Arbeloa.
Notably, Yanez has already experienced first-team football before, having made his La Liga debut under former manager Carlo Ancelotti.
That appearance came in December 2024 during a league match against Girona, when Yanez was just 17 years old.
Real Madrid’s recent win over Villarreal certainly had its tense and controversial moments, most of them involving Vinicius Jr.
But the biggest silver lining for Los Blancos was Yan Diomande scoring his first goal for the club following his €140 million move from RB Leipzig.
Diomande’s slow start had made him a subject of much criticism in the media. In the first game after the international break, however, the forward opened his account, and he used the moment to pay tribute to his sister, who died at the age of 15, reports MARCA.
Diomande’s tribute to his late sister
On the hour mark, Federico Valverde slipped him through and the Ivorian finished low across goal for the game’s only strike.
Once VAR confirmed it, he walked away from his celebrating teammates, closed his eyes and broke down in tears, his gaze fixed on the sky.
He later explained the emotion in his post-match interview. “This means more than words can say. My first goal is for you, sister. Forever in my heart.”
Roxane died in 2025 at just 15, having believed in her brother long before anyone else did. From the age of ten she had acted as his biggest champion, and ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Diomande shared their story in a letter published in The Players’ Tribune.
“Everything I do on the field is for you,” he wrote.
Staking a claim for more minutes
Diomande’s goal against Villarreal also carried a lot of weight, in terms of his standing in the team.
“I’d been waiting for that first goal for a long time,” Diomande admitted on Real Madrid TV. His display offered a glimpse of his value, with four successful dribbles, the pace to stretch Villarreal and the movement to create space for Kylian Mbappe.
With Vinicius facing a possible and lengthened domestic suspension, the 19-year-old has a timely chance to claim a more prominent role.
He is also relishing a first taste of the Champions League. “It’s every child’s dream, and I’m very grateful to be doing it with Real Madrid.”
So it will be interesting to see whether or not Diomande gets more chances to perform in the coming matches, before Real Madrid prepare for the big fight against Barcelona.
