Real Madrid host Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday in La Liga, and the squad Real Madrid named on Friday answers most of the team-news questions. Federico Valverde, whom José Mourinho called a doubt at his Friday press conference, is in it, and so is Ibrahima Konaté. Dean Huijsen is not. He is serving a one-match suspension after his red card in the derby defeat at Atlético.
Mourinho said Kylian Mbappé will play, and that he is sure the forward "has not failed in his obligations to Real Madrid". He added that Mbappé was diagnosed at Valdebebas, sought a second opinion on his knee and that the two diagnoses were in total agreement, without giving details of the recovery. We reported the original diagnosis on 26 September. The quotes come from the club's English transcript of the press conference, which carries an AI-translation disclaimer.
Éder Militão is training again but will not be available for this game, the Champions League trip to Roma or the match against Sevilla, Mourinho said, and still needs a couple of weeks. Ferland Mendy joined part of Friday's session and is not in the squad, Rodrygo is further off, and Raúl Asencio is among the players Mourinho named as injured. His point was that every current absentee picked up the problem last season. Valverde's grade 3 ankle sprain was reported on 22 September.
The defenders named are Trent, Konaté, Cucurella, Carreras, Antonio Rüdiger and Dumfries. Vinícius Júnior and Endrick are also in the squad, and Mourinho spent part of the press conference saying Vinícius deserves to be helped.
Madrid have 15 points from seven league games, with five wins and two defeats, 18 goals scored and eight conceded, according to LaLiga's table. The club says they have won all four home matches this season, scoring 14 and conceding three. The most recent defeat was the 2-1 loss at Atlético on 20 September, and Mourinho was blunt about it on Friday.
After losing the last match, we need to secure the points.
José Mourinho, Real Madrid press conference, 9 October (translated)
Villarreal finished third last season and compete in the Champions League this year. Íñigo Pérez took over from Marcelino in June, and his side went five league games without a win before beating Málaga 3-1 away and Levante 3-1 at home ahead of the international break. They have eight points from seven games, with 13 goals scored and 12 conceded, and Pape Gueye is their top scorer with three. Tajon Buchanan will miss the trip with a muscle injury, according to AS and Comuniate. AS reports that Juan Foyth and Santi Comesaña have resumed normal training, while Comuniate says Pérez declared both available. Mourinho called Villarreal a high-level team that plays very well.
Madrid have won the last four league meetings between the sides, the most recent a 2-0 away win in January with both goals from Mbappé. The match opens a month in which the club also play two more league matches, including the Clásico, and two more Champions League games. Kick-off is at 21:00 CEST (20:00 BST), and in Spain it is on Orange TV and Movistar LaLiga.
