The Real Madrid squad vs Rayo Vallecano is confirmed. José Mourinho named his 24 players on Friday afternoon for Saturday’s La Liga Matchday 5 game at the Santiago Bernabéu. The list has one standout detail.
Raúl Asencio is included for the first time this season. Five players who missed the midweek Champions League win over Inter Milan are also back. Kick-off is at 21:00 CEST on Saturday 12 September, which is 20:00 BST.
The existing squad list
Mourinho’s 24-man squad covers every position. Two academy players are among the names.
- Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin, Sergio Mestre
- Defenders: Asencio, Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Cucurella, Carreras, Rüdiger, Dumfries
- Midfielders: Bellingham, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouaméni, Arda Güler, Bernardo Silva, Thiago Pitarch
- Forwards: Vinícius Júnior, Endrick, Mbappé, Carlos Espí, Brahim Díaz, Yan Diomande
As Marca note, there are no extra academy call-ups beyond Sergio Mestre and Thiago Pitarch.
Who is back in the squad
Asencio’s return is the headline news. He was out for six weeks and this is his first squad listing of the season.
Five more players are back after missing the Inter Milan win. Three of them, Eduardo Camavinga, Bernardo Silva and Arda Güler, served a one-match ban for that game. All three can play again now.
Rayo Vallecano match details
Saturday’s game kicks off at 21:00 CEST, or 20:00 BST, at the Santiago Bernabéu. It is Real Madrid’s fifth La Liga fixture of the season.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the Comité de Designación has appointed Víctor García Verdura as referee for the match.
What Real Madrid’s squad vs Rayo Vallecano means
The Real Madrid squad vs Rayo Vallecano shows Mourinho close to a full squad for the first time in weeks. Asencio gives him an extra senior centre back. The return of three suspended midfielders adds real competition in that area too.
Vinícius, Mbappé, Endrick and Brahim Díaz are all named among the forwards. That gives Mourinho genuine choice up front. Together with the academy note from Marca, the list points to a squad built on fit players, not one patched together at short notice.
What happens next
Madrid’s next fixture is Saturday night at the Bernabéu, with kick-off at 21:00 CEST. Supporters can find build-up and team news in our matchday guide.
There is more context on the club’s situation in the latest club update and in the club finances update. For background on the forward line named here, see our Mbappé injury report. The original confirmation is in our squad update.
