Real Madrid head coach José Mourinho has released his squad for the club’s final pre-season friendly against Schalke 04 at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday.
The club confirmed the 23-man squad on Saturday, with several of Madrid’s biggest stars included as Mourinho continues preparations for the new La Liga season.
Among the notable names called up are Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, Thibaut Courtois, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konaté, Antonio Rüdiger, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Bernardo Silva.
New signing Yan Diomande is also part of the squad, alongside fellow newcomers Konaté, Cucurella, Bernardo Silva and Denzel Dumfries. The inclusion of the players gives Mourinho an opportunity to assess his strengthened squad ahead of the competitive campaign.
Real Madrid’s official squad consists of goalkeepers Courtois, Lunin and Illia. The defenders are Huijsen, Trent, Konaté, Cucurella, Á. Carreras, Rüdiger, Dumfries and Mario Rivas.
The midfield options are Bellingham, Camavinga, Valverde, Arda Güler, Bernardo Silva, Cestero and Alexis Ciria, while the forwards are Vinícius Júnior, Mbappé, C. Espí, Brahim Díaz and Diomande.
The Schalke encounter is particularly significant because it is Madrid’s final friendly before the start of their competitive campaign. The club will then turn its attention to its La Liga opener against Espanyol on August 22.
Mourinho has been using pre-season to assess his options after Real Madrid made several major additions to the squad. The Portuguese manager returned to the club this summer following his appointment by president Florentino Pérez, with the club hoping his experience can help Madrid challenge Barcelona for the league title.
The clash with Schalke will also give fans an opportunity to see several of Madrid’s new signings in action. Konaté is set to feature after joining from Liverpool, while Diomande is another major addition expected to attract attention.
Mbappé, meanwhile, has been included in the starting XI for the match, with Mourinho continuing to assess his attacking options.
The match is scheduled for 5:00pm CEST on Sunday at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen.
With the new season fast approaching, Mourinho will be hoping the final pre-season outing provides another opportunity to sharpen his team’s tactics, build chemistry among the new arrivals and determine his preferred starting XI.
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