After the tough setback suffered in the Copa del Rey against Albacete, Álvaro Arbeloa has announced his second squad selection as the head coach of Real Madrid’s first team for the league match against Levante.

The big news, as the coach himself hinted in the pre-match press conference, is the return of Kylian Mbappé. The French star rejoins the group dynamics to bring the goal-scoring instinct the team needed in their last outing, establishing himself as the main attraction for the upcoming league fixture.

The commitment to the Valdebebas academy remains a hallmark in this new cycle. This time, the main novelty among the young players is the inclusion of Álvaro Leiva, a winger from Castilla, who receives his first opportunity under Arbeloa’s command in the first team.

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Leiva joins other recurring names like Cestero, Palacios, and David Jiménez, showing that the coach from Salamanca has not lost confidence in the academy players despite the recent cup defeat.

Without Rüdiger and Rodrygo

In terms of absences, Real Madrid still cannot count on key players in their backbone. To the already known injuries of Antonio Rüdiger and Rodrygo Goes, Andriy Lunin is now added.

The Ukrainian goalkeeper is not on the list of goalkeepers, leaving the goalkeeping backup in the hands of young Fran González and Sergio Mestre, who will support a Thibaut Courtois regaining his starting position.

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With this list, Arbeloa not only seeks to move on from the Copa but also to establish the foundations of a brave and vertical team.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 JAVIER SORIANO – AFP or Licensors