Real Madrid will aim to reduce the gap to Barcelona to one point before the league leaders take on Atletico Madrid later in the day when they lock horns with RCD Mallorca at Son Moix on Saturday afternoon. Alvaro Arbeloa has received a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Federico Valverde is the most notable absentee, as he will serve a suspension after being sent off in the most recent La Liga game against Atletico Madrid before the international break. Meanwhile, Thibaut Courtois (thigh), Dani Ceballos (calf), Ferland Mendy (hamstring), and Rodrygo (knee) remain in the treatment room. The quintet is not in the travelling squad to take on Mallorca this weekend.
However, Kylian Mbappe is finally fit enough to start games for Los Blancos, while Raul Asencio (muscle), Eder Militao (hamstring), and Vinicius Junior (thigh) are in the travelling squad despite their recent fitness issues. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Arbeloa provided fitness updates on Militao and Vinicius.
The Real Madrid head coach said, “He [Militao] will be back. He’ll be in Mallorca tomorrow. In top form, he’s arguably the best centre-back in the world. I haven’t had the fortune of managing him in any match yet, but we’ve enjoyed him at Real Madrid for many years, and often you get the feeling that there are two players on the field when he’s there.”
“He’s an exceptional center-back due to his physical prowess, his abilities, his intelligence, and his leadership. He will help us and contribute a lot. He is a game-changing player. I’m very happy to have him back because he will be crucial for this final stretch of the season and for fighting for everything.”
Meanwhile, discussing Vinicius Junior’s fitness, Arbeloa revealed that the Brazilian international was tired after his excursions during the international break. The Real Madrid boss said, “He’s tired, as expected. My friend Carletto hasn’t given him much rest, but that’s normal. Who wants to rest a player like him? I completely understand, but he’s had two very demanding matches.”
“Both Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team are teams where the demands are very high, but that’s what he has to deal with. He’s an incredible player, and it’s clear he’s come from a heavy load of matches since the start of 2026. I don’t think he’s had a single day off. We’ll see how he feels today ahead of tomorrow’s match and make our decision.”
Andriy Lunin will continue to deputise for Thibaut Courtois between the sticks, with Real Madrid lining up in a 4-3-1-2 formation in front of him against RCD Mallorca on Saturday. The backline will feature Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, Dean Huijsen, and Alvaro Carreras.
As for the midfield unit, Thiago Pinar will line up alongside Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga in the middle of the park, with the latter replacing Valverde in the starting lineup. Finally, Kylian Mbappe and Brahim Diaz will complete the offensive unit alongside Arda Guler. So, Vinicius Junior will be a backup option on the bench for the away side.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Lunin; Alexander-Arnold, Rudiger, Huijsen, Carreras; Pitarch, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Guler; Diaz, Mbappe
