Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid starting lineup against Mallorca – first start for academy ace
Real Madrid will lock horns with RCD Mallorca in a little over an hour at Son Moix in their first game after the international break.
Ahead of kickoff in Palma, Los Blancos manager Alvaro Arbeloa has announced the starting lineup, with some interesting decisions being made.
The big news is that Kylian Mbappe starts in attack after featuring as a substitute in the last two games following his return from knee injury.
He replaces fellow superstar Vinicius Jr., who has been rested by Arbeloa, with Brahim Diaz retaining his place in the side.
Meanwhile, there is a first senior start for academy ace and Castilla captain Manuel Angel, who gets the nod in the absence of Federico Valverde, suspended for the game.
Arda Guler, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Eduardo Camavinga make up the rest of the midfield unit, with Jude Bellingham and Thiago Pitarch both being among the substitutes.
Andriy Lunin starts in goal and captains the team, while Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alvaro Carreras come into the side as the two full-backs. Antonio Rudiger and Dean Huijsen line up as the two centre-backs for Real Madrid.
📋✅ ¡Nuestro XI inicial!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) April 4, 2026
🆚 @RCD_Mallorca
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Real Madrid News
Real Madrid hope captain will resume group training tomorrow and be ready for Villarreal
Real Madrid received a major boost in training today as Kylian Mbappe participated in the group session, indicating his readiness for the upcoming game against Villarreal.
The French superstar had returned from international duty with a knee injury, but seems to have left it behind and appears ready to start at the Santiago Bernabeu come Saturday.
What about Federico Valverde?
Now, according to AS, Federico Valverde was not part of the group training session today at Valdebebas. Instead, he was involved in an individual session away from his teammates.
However, Real Madrid hope that their club captain will be able to resume working with the rest of the squad on Thursday, putting him in the fray to return in time for Saturday’s clash against Villarreal.
Valverde is currently recovering from an ankle sprain that he sustained in Real Madrid’s 2-1 derby defeat against Atletico Madrid prior to the international break.
The Uruguayan midfielder was on the receiving end of a harsh tackle from Kang-In Lee, which left him injured, ruling him out of action for the national team.
The 28-year-old stayed behind in Madrid and has worked hard on his recovery, with things progressing in the right direction.
What now remains to be seen is whether he can jump back into group training session on Thursday, which would put him on the path to return to action against Villarreal.
A key player for Mourinho
So far this season, Valverde has emerged as a permanent fixture in the team under new manager Jose Mourinho.
The Real Madrid captain has started all of the team’s eight matches in all competitions this term, scoring and assisting one goal apiece.
His potential availability for Saturday’s clash against Villarreal will come as a major boost for Mourinho & co. Everything will depend on how things progress in tomorrow’s training session at Valdebebas.
With Ibrahima Konate also recovering from his knee sprain, Real Madrid have only three players sidelined currently: Raul Asencio, who recently underwent surgery, Rodrygo Goes, who is a long-term absentee, and Ferland Mendy, who has resumed work with the ball.
