Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid squad list to face Real Oviedo | La Liga MD2
Real Madrid will lock horns with newly-promoted La Liga club Real Oviedo on Sunday night away from home on Matchday 2.
The Merengues began their campaign with a 1-0 win over Osasuna this past Tuesday and will be gunning for another victory as new manager Xabi Alonso works to fine-tune his team.
Ahead of the trip to Oviedo, the Real Madrid boss has announced the squad list of players who will be at his disposal against the La Liga newbies tomorrow.
The big news is that Antonio Rudiger is back in the squad after missing the opener against Osasuna due to his six-match suspension carried on from last season.
However, at the moment, it is unlikely that the German international will start, given the good form shown by Dean Huijsen and Eder Militao.
Franco Mastantuono, Alvaro Carreras, and Trent Alexander-Arnold all feature once again and may all start tomorrow against Oviedo.
Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham, Endrick, Eduardo Camavinga, and Ferland Mendy all remain unavailable through injuries.
Beyond that, teenage prodigy Thiago Pitarch has once again been called up by Alonso, after the 18-year-old talent made a big impression during the curtailed pre-season.
📋✅ ¡Nuestros convocados!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 23, 2025
🆚 @RealOviedo pic.twitter.com/ke8JtQ60dl
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
