Mourinho begins Real Madrid pre-season with eight players available

Real Madrid kicked off its pre-season training under manager José Mourinho with a significantly depleted squad, featuring only eight players available for the first session. The limited number is a direct consequence of the ongoing World Cup, which has kept a large portion of the team's roster engaged with their respective national squads.

Among those present at the Ciudad Real Madrid were Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eduardo Camavinga, Álvaro Carreras, Andriy Lunin, Gonzalo García, Franco Mastantuono, and Raúl Asencio. Additionally, injured players Éder Militao, Rodrygo Goes, and Ferland Mendy attended for their medical assessments but will continue their recovery programs separately from the main group.

Mourinho, returning to the club thirteen years after his initial tenure, faces the task of revitalizing Real Madrid after two seasons without securing any major titles. He will gradually welcome back players as their national teams conclude their World Cup campaigns. Those whose teams have been eliminated, such as Bernardo Silva, Fede Valverde, Arda Güler, Thibaut Courtois, Antonio Rüdiger, Brahim Díaz, Denzel Dumfries, and Vinícius Júnior, are expected to return first. Players advancing to the World Cup semifinals, including Jude Bellingham, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Kylian Mbappé, Ibrahima Konaté, and Marc Cucurella, will join later.

The team has two friendly matches scheduled before the new season commences: a game against Fiorentina on August 1 in Klagenfurt, Austria, and a match against Deportivo de La Coruña on August 12 in Riazor. These fixtures will be crucial for Mourinho to fine-tune the squad for the 2026-2027 season.