Mourinho names first Real Madrid squad of second spell with three academy surprises

Jose Mourinho has named his first official Real Madrid squad since returning for a second spell as manager, with Endrick and Aurelien Tchouameni missing for the La Liga meeting with Espanyol and three academy players included.

Real Madrid face Espanyol on Saturday evening in the second round of the league season. Mario Rivas, Cestero and Alexis Ciria have been rewarded with places in the squad after impressing Mourinho during pre-season.

Brazil forward Endrick has been left out because of a minor muscle injury. The coaching staff decided not to take any risks with the 18-year-old at the start of the campaign.

Tchouameni has returned to full training, but Mourinho has opted to wait before selecting the France midfielder for a competitive match. He is not considered fully ready to play at this stage.

“He is fine, but he arrived with some discomfort and trained only a little with the first team,” Mourinho said.

The decision also reflects the demanding schedule facing Real Madrid. The club are due to play three La Liga matches in the space of eight days, encouraging the coaching staff to adopt a cautious approach with players returning from injury.

The most notable aspect of the squad is the inclusion of Rivas, Cestero and Ciria. The young players caught Mourinho’s attention during a period when injuries forced Real Madrid to rely repeatedly on players from La Fabrica, the club’s academy system.

Mourinho had previously made clear that academy players would have an opportunity to break into the first team. His decision to call up the trio for the visit to Espanyol represents the first practical demonstration of that policy under his new project at the club.

Rivas, Cestero and Ciria are expected to begin the match on the substitutes’ bench at the RCDE Stadium. If selected, they would become among the first academy prospects to receive an opportunity under Mourinho during his second period in charge.

“The door is open,” the Portuguese manager said at his news conference, referring to the possibility of academy players proving themselves with the senior side.

Real Madrid’s squad for the match is:

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin, Mestre.

Defenders: Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Marc Cucurella, Alvaro Carreras, Antonio Rudiger, Denzel Dumfries, Mario Rivas.

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Arda Guler, Bernardo Silva, Cestero, Alexis Ciria.

Forwards: Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe, Espe, Brahim Diaz, Yan Diomande.

The list was published by Real Madrid ahead of the fixture, which will give Mourinho the chance to begin his second spell with the club while also assessing the depth provided by the academy.