Real Madrid News
Mourinho handed boost as Real Madrid trio set to be available for start of pre-season after WC exit
Real Madrid may have seen several of their players leave the World Cup earlier than expected, but the situation could ultimately work in Jose Mourinho’s favour.
In fact, according to AS, the eliminations of Federico Valverde, Arda Guler and Antonio Rudiger are being viewed positively within the club because they will allow the trio to return in time for the crucial opening phase of preseason preparations.
The Jose Mourinho Real Madrid project officially gets underway on July 13, when players report back to Valdebebas for medical examinations ahead of the first training session.
Following two consecutive seasons without silverware, the Portuguese coach is determined to make an immediate impact, with pre-season expected to play a decisive role.
Interestingly, Mourinho had already hinted at this scenario a few weeks ago when he jokingly admitted that he hoped some of his players would suffer early World Cup exits so they could join him sooner.
That wish has partially become reality.
Three Real Madrid players to boost Mourinho’s pre-season
Federico Valverde World Cup exit, combined with the departures of Arda Guler and Antonio Rudiger, means Mourinho will have access to important members of his squad much earlier than initially anticipated.
According to the outlet, Guler and Valverde are expected to rejoin the squad during the early stages of the second week of pre-season, between July 20 and July 22, while Rudiger’s return is projected to come slightly later.
The Real Madrid pre-season has taken on increased importance this year due to the club’s recent struggles.
Hence, Mourinho will be eager to use every available session to implement his ideas and build cohesion ahead of a demanding campaign.
Mourinho still waiting on many World Cup stars
While the early returns provide one advantage, Mourinho is still expected to begin pre-season without a large number of key players.
Jude Bellingham remains involved with England, while Vinicius Jr. and Endrick continue their World Cup journey with Brazil.
France still have Kylian Mbappe, Ibrahima Konate and Aurelien Tchouameni competing in the tournament, while Marc Cucurella remains with Spain.
Furthermore, Brahim Diaz is representing Morocco, Bernardo Silva is still active with Portugal, and Thibaut Courtois continues with Belgium.
That means Mourinho will have to go through the opening weeks of pre-season without several of the players expected to define Real Madrid’s season.
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
👉 @UnicajaBanco pic.twitter.com/rHzZI1CQM7
