After concluding their US pre-season tour, Real Madrid are now gearing up for the highly anticipated UEFA Super Cup clash against Europa League winners Atalanta.
This will be Los Blancos’ first game of the season and potentially their first trophy of the campaign. Given the high stakes, several key players are expected to feature in the starting lineup.
After missing out on the pre-season, Real Madrid’s brand new Galacitco Kylian Mbappe is poised to make his first-ever appearance in the royal white jersey.
Mbappe hard at work
And, according to MARCA, Mbappe is already on the pitch at Valdebebas, joining the latest arrivals. With the European Super Cup in sight, he is accelerating his preparation.
After his initial session yesterday, the Frenchman has been seen engaged in intense training sessions today at the club facilities.
Mbappe, along with Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurilien Tchouameni, Fede Valverde, and Jude Bellingham, face a brief one-week mini-preseason before the season’s first game, allowing them to regain their fitness levels and shake off the rust.
Carlo Ancelotti now faces the difficult dilemma of choosing the ideal lineup. Despite the tight preparation window, these players have been following a tailored plan to ensure they are ready.
In today’s second session, the players began with activation work and passing sequences, followed by ball possession, pressure drills, and small-field games. The session concluded with sprints under the guidance of Antonio Pintus, who handles physical preparation.
Now, Ancelotti needs to assess the performance of the new arrivals, led by Mbappe, to finalize his starting eleven for the official season.
He will be eager to have the 2018 World Cup winner ready, with the Italian aiming to equal Miguel Munoz as the most successful Real Madrid coach.