Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid squad list to face Albacete | Copa del Rey
Real Madrid will play their first game under new manager Alvaro Arbeloa later tonight when they take on Albacete in the Copa del Rey Round of 16.
The Merengues will be keen on putting on a strong performance and set the tone for the future under the new manager, who has taken over from Xabi Alonso.
Ahead of the trip to Albacete, Arbeloa has now announced his first squad list as the Real Madrid first-team manager.
As expected, there are some notable absentees as the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger, and Rodrygo are unavailable due to physical issues that prevented them from training with the team on Tuesday. Jude Bellingham and Alvaro Carreras have also been rested.
Meanwhile, youngsters like Jorge Cestero, David Jimenez, Cesar Palacios, Joan Martinez, and Manuel Angel have all been called up from the Castilla squad.
Thibaut Courtois is also rested by Arbeloa for the cup tie, with Andriy Lunin set to start in goal. Fran Gonzalez and Sergio Mestre will be the backup options on the bench.
Federico Valverde is fit and available, although he could be given a breather. Vinicius Jr. is also fit and ready after ending the Super Cup final with exhaustion and fatigue.
📋✅ ¡Nuestros convocados!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) January 14, 2026
🆚 @AlbaceteBPSAD pic.twitter.com/vLLlWClSWM
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
