Real Madrid is undergoing a period of change with a new manager, Xabi Alonso. With his arrival and after a long and successful spell under Carlo Ancelotti, everything is up in the air. What system will he use, what signings has he asked for, which players will he discard, what will his line-up be? The new coach’s first challenge will come in less than a week with his first match in the Club World Cup, where he will have to field an emergency lineup due to injuries.
The Club World Cup, the first challenge
Real Madrid is clear that it is going to the Club World Cup to win and has motivated the squad with the promise of a million-euro bonus if they win. To do so, they will have to start with the first step, which is the match on the 18th at 9 p.m. against Al Hilal. The group stage will continue on Sunday, June 22, also at 9 p.m., with Pachuca in Charlotte. Finally, Xabi Alonso’s team will play their third match on Friday, June 27, at 3 a.m. against Salzburg. To continue their journey, they must finish in the top two of the group. If they progress through the rounds, Real Madrid hopes to reach the final on Sunday, July 13, at 9 p.m.
In the tournament, Xabi Alonso will have to adapt a little to what he has available. Some players are ruled out in principle, such as Endrick, Camavinga, and Mendy. Others are rushing to be fit, such as Rügider, while others, such as Alaba, Carvajal, and Eder Militao, are training with the team but are not yet up to competitive speed, so their minutes will have to be rationed. He will be able to count on new signings Dean Huijsen and Alexander Arnold, although both have trained little with the group. The coach will also have several youth players at his disposal to try to put together a competitive starting eleven.
Xabi Alonso’s lineup for the season
Looking ahead to the season and with the entire squad at his disposal, the player’s lineup and formation will be whatever he prefers. On Tuesday, June 10, on El Larguero, Manu Carreño ventured a guess at what Real Madrid’s lineup will look like next season, including not only Franco Mastantuono, but also Álvaro Carreras.
Both players will sign for Real Madrid, but they are not yet official and will not be available for the Club World Cup. The Argentine midfielder will play for River Plate and is expected to arrive in August when he comes of age. The same date is expected for the signing of the Galician full-back, who will play in the World Cup with Benfica, with whom negotiations over financial terms have prevented the deal from being closed earlier.
According to the Cadena SER journalist, this will be Xabi Alonso’s starting eleven throughout the season: Courtois Trent, Militao/Rudiger, Huijsen, Carreras Tchouaméni, Valverde Mastantuono, Bellingham, Mbappé, Vini Jr.
“Mastantuono will be a starter, he will come in to play a lot from the beginning. And possibly in a starting XI that will not be very different from this one in Xabi Alonso’s mind. Courtois in goal, Alexander-Arnold at right back, Dean Huijsen with Rudiger or Militao in the center and Álvaro Carreras on the left wing, Tchouameni, Bellingham, Valverde and Mastantuono, and Vinicius and Mbappé,” was Carreño’s prediction.