Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior (centre) trains with his teammates in Madrid yesterday.
Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior (centre) trains with his teammates in Madrid yesterday.
Real Madrid trained in the Spanish capital yesterday as they prepared for the Intercontinental Cup final against Pachuca, set to take place at Lusail Stadium in Qatar on Wednesday. The starting eleven from their La Liga clash with Rayo Vallecano on Saturday completed a recovery session, while the rest of the squad underwent intensive gym and on-pitch workouts.
David Alaba, Ferland Mendy and Kylian Mbappe trained separately as they continued their recoveries from injuries. While Alaba and Mendy have been ruled out of Wednesday’s match, Mbappe remains in contention. The French forward, recovering from a muscle injury sustained during the Champions League match against Atalanta last Tuesday, has been included in the travelling squad to Qatar. Meanwhile, Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao are sidelined for the rest of the season.
Brazilian star Vinicius Junior, who was substituted against Rayo as a precaution following his recent return from injury, participated in an intensive session alongside Eduardo Camavinga, who also featured in the weekend’s draw against Rayo Vallecano. They were joined by Raul Asencio, Jesus Vallejo, Dani Ceballos, Endrick, and several youth players called up to bolster the first team.
Real Madrid’s squad will continue training in Madrid before travelling to Qatar in pursuit of yet another addition to their illustrious trophy cabinet.
Despite dropping points against Rayo when a win would have propelled them to the top of La Liga, Real Madrid, currently sitting third behind leaders Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, remain optimistic. Ancelotti is confident that his team is on the “right path” and is focused on lifting the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
“We have a great chance to win a title on Wednesday, which would put the cherry on top of a great year,” said head coach Carlo Ancelotti on Saturday.
Midfielder Jude Bellingham also turned his attention to Wednesday’s final. Bellingham, who has scored in six successive La Liga matches, stressed the importance of shifting focus to the challenge ahead. Reacting to the Rayo Vallecano match on Instagram, star Bellingham wrote: “One of the more complicated away games but should be leaving with more than a point. Rest and refocus for an opportunity to win another title on Wednesday.”
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