Real Madrid News
Real Madrid captain returns to pre-season training after early World Cup elimination
Federico Valverde has officially returned to Real Madrid’s pre-season preparations after enjoying 24 days of vacation, becoming the latest World Cup international to rejoin José Mourinho’s squad.
Following Arda Guler, who reported back on Monday, the Uruguayan midfielder is the second returning international to resume training at Valdebebas.
Medical Clearance and First Training Session
Valverde began the day by completing his routine medical examinations, receiving clearance before taking part in his first training session under Mourinho.
His return increases the number of available first-team players to ten, although the squad continues to rely heavily on academy players while the remaining internationals complete their holidays.
Recovery after the World Cup
Uruguay’s disappointing World Cup campaign ended in the group stage after draws against Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia, along with a defeat to Spain.
🥳 ¡Bienvenido de nuevo, cumpleañero!@FedeeValverde pic.twitter.com/zTs936WzOc
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) July 22, 2026
Valverde began his break on June 28, following the club’s standard recovery programme.
The first week was dedicated to complete rest before gradually reintroducing individual training during the following weeks to maintain fitness without overloading the body ahead of preseason.
Mourinho’s squad Grows
After arriving at Valdebebas in his own vehicle early in the morning, Valverde completed his medical tests before joining the rest of the group on the training pitch.
Mourinho now has the following senior players available: Andriy Lunin, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen, Raul Asencio, Alvaro Carreras, Valverde, Guler, Eduardo Camavinga, Franco Mastantuono, and Gonzalo Garcia.
👍 @FedeeValverde
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) July 22, 2026
✅ Reconocimiento médico
🏥 Ciudad Real Madrid
🔵 @Sanitas pic.twitter.com/AHP4mHxbh6
The remainder of the training group continues to be made up of several academy prospects, a situation expected to continue until more internationals return.
A new responsibility
This season also marks the beginning of a new chapter for Valverde away from the pitch.
Following Dani Carvajal’s departure, the Uruguayan becomes Real Madrid’s first-team captain, making him the club’s primary on-field leader.
The updated captaincy order now places Vinicius Jr. as vice-captain, followed by Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo.
It is another major responsibility for one of the club’s most influential players as Mourinho begins building his new Real Madrid project.
Having endured a tough year, Valverde will be eager to bounce back strongly under the new management.
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
