Real Madrid News
Osasuna winger reveals admiration for Real Madrid superstar – ‘I look up to him’
Bryan Zaragoza, on loan from Bayern Munich to Osasuna, has been one of the standout players for the club this season. He will certainly be one to keep an eye out on when Real Madrid take on Osasuna in La Liga this weekend.
Ahead of the game at El Sadar on Saturday afternoon, Bryan spoke with Kosner (h/t Mundo Deportivo) in an interview, where he discussed facing Real Madrid and revealed his admiration for a certain Vinicius Jr.
Bryan Zaragoza sees Vinicius as a reference
The Bayern Munich loanee explained how he always looks forward to playing top teams like Real Madrid as he gets a chance to go up against great players.
“Playing against world class players, everyone wants to and everyone likes it. I love playing against them, we always see them and in the end they are the best. It’s always good to play against them,” he noted.
Then singling out Vinicius as someone he looks up to, Bryan said: “Real Madrid have many great players, but right now I would say Vinicius, he is a reference, I like the way he plays, I look up to him.”
Continuing, he added: “I try to take things from him, I’m not similar to him, but the game is more or less based on what Vinicius does.”
Bryan also mentioned Kylian Mbappe as a great player, stating: “I can also talk about Mbappe, they are two great players, although my profile is more Vinicius.”
On facing Real Madrid
Bryan shared his thoughts on the upcoming visit from Real Madrid, the current leaders in La Liga, saying:
“They are a very good team, one of the best. We all want to play against them and even more so here at our ground, with our people and our fans. We’ll try to make them happy, and if we can’t win, we’ll try to add to that.”
Despite being at the top of the table, Real Madrid has several defensive injuries, which has made Bryan optimistic ahead of the match.
“I think it’s a good time to get a hand on Real Madrid. Even if one goes out and another comes in, Madrid always tend to compete well. But I think that if there’s a time to get a hand on Real Madrid, it’s now,” he remarked.
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.
