Real Madrid News
Rival watch: Atletico Madrid will be without key starters for the Real Madrid clash
Real Madrid enter tonight’s Madrid derby with several players unavailable through injury.
While Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham are back in the squad, the team do have some massive absentees.
Thibaut Courtois’ absence, by far, is the single biggest setback for Real Madrid, while the likes of Rodrygo Goes, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy and Dani Ceballos will also be unavailable.
Atletico Madrid, for their part, also enter the game with some players injured and will thus not operate at 100% capacity either.
Camp update
Diario AS bring an update on the situation of Atletico Madrid’s camp ahead of Sunday’s games and thus outlines the player who will not be available for Diego Simeone to count on.
Pablo Barrios, for starters, will miss the game due to a muscle injury and is only expected late next month for the final of the Copa del Rey.
Rodrigo Mendoza is another player who is assured to be unavailable for the game against Real Madrid as he nurses a grade 2 sprain in his right ankle.
He too is expected to be out for a few weeks and will not be anywhere close to the bench.
Beyond the two obvious absentees, Los Rojiblancos have two players who are likely to miss the game and are still lingering on the line of doubt.
The first is their star goalkeeper, Jan Oblak, who is suffering from a muscle strain and whose feelings will govern his availability.
Also in the same category is Marc Pubill, who is suffering from some discomfort in the ribs, leaving him in doubt as well.
In either case, it is clear that both teams will have to deal with major injuries on the night and that the spotlight will be on the managers to find a workaround for the absentees.
In a major update, AS reports that former Real Madrid midfielder and club legend Toni Kroos has taken his first step towards starting his coaching career.
The former Germany international has told the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) that he is interested in joining the coaching course reserved for professional footballers.
Real Madrid tried to bring Kroos back
It is no secret that Real Madrid considered bringing Toni Kroos back into the club’s structure after the end of the last season.
The club president, Florentino Perez, had wanted Kroos to have a daily presence at Valdebebas rather than making occasional appearances after his retirement.
Jose Angel Sanchez and Kroos spoke after Perez expressed his desire to see the German working at Valdebebas every day. However, they did not find the right moment, time or structure to give his return a clear form.
A comeback remains one of the possibilities most desired by Madrid supporters because of Kroos’ charisma and what he represents at the Santiago Bernabeu. Neither side wanted him to return simply for the sake of it, so the door remains open for the future.
The relationship between the two parties is excellent, and both know that the opportunity to work together again will eventually come.
Taking it step by step
For now, Kroos continues to run the academy he established in Boadilla, enjoying the opportunity to help develop younger players.
After two years away from the competitive side of football, however, he is beginning to look towards the dugout as a possible next step in his career.
Kroos currently holds coaching qualifications that allow him to work up to the third tier of Spanish football.
This is possible because professionals with at least seven years of proven experience and significant involvement at the elite level can gain direct access to accelerated coaching courses.
That means Kroos could coach a team in Primera Federacion, but the German wants to take things gradually.
Kroos has already informed the RFEF that he would be interested in joining the coaching course reserved for professional footballers during the 2027/28 season.
The course taking place this season is not available to elite former players, with UEFA limiting each campaign to 20 places.
With his current qualifications, Kroos could work as an assistant coach, but he cannot yet take charge as a head coach in either the top flight or the Segunda División.
But completing that programme would allow Kroos to obtain the UEFA A licence, which would enable him to coach teams at any level.
