Last test for Real Madrid... and first problem in the team....

Xabi faces the Austrian test with only three first-team midfielders healthy after the absences of Bellingham, Camavinga and Valverde.

Real Madrid travels to Austria with a light load in midfield. Eduardo Camavinga's injury on Sunday was compounded yesterday by a muscle strain suffered by Fede Valverde, who is sidelined but is almost certain to be available for the Whites' league debut, next Tuesday against Osasuna.

The muscle injury in the number 8's right leg and Camavinga's sprain, which could also affect the league opener, leave just three first-team midfielders available for this afternoon's game in Tyrol. They are Tchouaméni, Güler, and Ceballos. The first two were important in the Club World Cup (the Frenchman was also used as a center-back, and the Turk was given the keys to the midfield in the United States), while the third, like every summer, faces an uncertain future, with Betis always willing to send him home but not so willing to pay for it. The list of midfielders at Xabi's call-up is completed by Thiago Pitarch and Roberto Martín, with the former making a strong entrance after scoring against Leganés in the Whites' first warm-up match, that phantom duel in Valdebebas of which the result is barely known, a clear 4-1 in favor of the home side.

In addition to Fede and Eduardo, Jude Bellingham continues to recover at Valdebebas. After the Club World Cup and a few days of rest, he finally underwent surgery to try to overcome a shoulder injury that he has been carrying since almost the beginning of his career as a Real Madrid player. The problem, which required him to play with cumbersome protection, didn't prevent him from being Madrid's best player in the 2023-24 season, leading the team to five titles. However, last season, the Englishman's discomfort increased. He finally agreed to surgery, an option that the club's doctors had long considered.

The point is that this is how Madrid is approaching the final match of the shortest preseason in its history, with just three weeks of preparation due to its participation in the Club World Cup and LaLiga's refusal to postpone the match against Osasuna, something the Navarrese club itself initially agreed to. And, due to the secrecy surrounding that friendly against Lega, it will be the first and only time that the developments of what, according to Xabi Alonso, is a new Real Madrid can be clearly seen. The Real Madrid coach considers the Club World Cup to be part of last season's campaign. The lack of time between his official appointment and Real Madrid's debut left little room for preparation beyond some basic notions. Without a doubt, the most striking detail was the use of a three-man defense during some phases of Madrid's five matches in the USA, and the positive insights offered by Huijsen (especially) and Alexander-Arnold, the team's two new faces in the postseason. Álvaro Carreras made his debut against Leganés, and he will have the opportunity to confirm his alternative in Austria, in one of the positions, left back, that can offer the most potential throughout the season, with Fran García and Ferland Mendy also applying for the same position.