Real Madrid News
Real Madrid internationals return to training; including key starters
Kylian Mbappe has returned to training with Real Madrid after limited involvement during the international break, where he played just over 70 minutes across France’s matches against Brazil and Colombia.
The forward was among the key names back on the pitch at Valdebebas as Alvaro Arbeloa led preparations for the upcoming La Liga fixture against Mallorca at Son Moix.
Mbappe was joined by fellow French internationals Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni, marking a boost for the squad as Real Madrid begin to regroup after the international break.
Several other players also returned to training, although not all were involved fully on the pitch.
Dean Huijsen, Gonzalo Garcia, Brahim Diaz and Antonio Rudiger were present, but those who featured recently continued with indoor fitness work as part of load management.
A routine session for Real Madrid
The session followed a structured routine. It began with warm-ups and passing drills before moving into possession-based exercises focused on small goals.
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As per Mundo Deportivo, the Real Madrid players then completed sprint and finishing drills, ending with a seven-a-side match, as outlined by the club’s official channels.
There was also positive news on the fitness front. Dani Ceballos and Eder Militao completed the session, indicating progress in their recovery.
Meanwhile, Thibaut Courtois, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo continued their individual recovery programmes.
From the next session onwards, Arbeloa is expected to have a near-complete squad available.
Key figures such as Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Vinicius Jr. and Arda Guler are set to rejoin after completing their international duties.
It must be noted that Real Madrid are preparing for a crucial run of fixtures, starting with an away match against Mallorca, followed by the UEFA Champions semi-final against Bayern Munich at Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho sticks to his Champions League tradition ahead of Real Madrid’s clash vs AS Roma
Real Madrid are set to take on AS Roma in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday in Italy.
Having returned from the international break with a 1-0 win over Villarreal, Los Blancos will be eager to build on it and record their second win in Europe, after beating Inter Milan last month.
Mourinho continues his tradition
And, as reported by Diario AS, the Real Madrid squad trained at Valdebebas before travelling for their Champions League fixture, just as they did during Jose Mourinho’s first spell in charge between 2010 and 2013.
The approach breaks with the usual Champions League routine of training at the opposition’s stadium on the eve of a match.
Real Madrid had largely remained an exception to this trend. Mourinho was the first to change the club’s established procedure, but after his departure in 2013, the routine had returned.
Now, the club are going back to the approach he introduced. Following the training session, the squad will fly to Rome in the afternoon.
Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa followed the same approach
Xabi Alonso revived the practice last season in order to avoid giving direct access to his team’s preparations to the opposition. After Alonso’s dismissal, Alvaro Arbeloa continued the practice.
The team travel to the opposition’s stadium for the press conference, but otherwise complete their preparations at Valdebebas before flying out a few hours later.
Exceptions are made when the journey is too long to make the routine practical, as was the case with Almaty. Rome, however, is a relatively short trip, allowing Mourinho to maintain his preferred schedule.
Real Madrid’s flight is expected to depart at around 15:00, with the pre-match press conference scheduled for 18:00 at the Stadio Olimpico.
Four expected absentees
There were no new injury concerns, with Real Madrid set to travel without four players, all of whom were already expected to miss the match.
Eder Militao has returned to group training but still needs time to regain match fitness. Meanwhile, Raul Asencio remains unavailable after undergoing surgery for a fracture in his right tibia.
Ferland Mendy is also back training with his teammates but is expected to need slightly longer than Militao before returning to action. Rodrygo remains a long-term absentee.
