Mbappe and Bellingham omitted from Real Madrid’s fourth pre-season friendly at Estadio Abanca-Riazor

Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham did not feature in Real Madrid’s fourth pre-season friendly against newly promoted Deportivo La Coruna at the Estadio Abanca-Riazor during the club’s preparations for the 2026-27 campaign. Both players have returned to training after extended FIFA World Cup 2026 campaigns and were held back to regain football fitness following their post-World Cup breaks.

The match formed part of Real Madrid’s build-up under new manager Jose Mourinho after a trophyless 2025-26 season. The club has been active in the summer transfer window as it assembles a squad for the upcoming campaign. Preparations are ongoing and Mourinho is still assessing personnel ahead of competitive fixtures.

Among the new arrivals, only Denzel Dumfries, Bernardo Silva and Carlos Espi have played in pre-season action so far. Marc Cucurella, the young Yan Diomande and Ibrahima Konate have yet to make their first appearances for Los Blancos. The club signed Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig for a base fee of €125 million.

Real Madrid are managing a number of absences through injury: Rodrygo, Raul Asencio and Eder Militao are currently sidelined ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. Thibaut Courtois suffered an injury while playing for Belgium in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and is expected to return sooner than others. These availability issues have influenced selection during the pre-season run.

Both Mbappe and Bellingham have resumed training following lengthy international campaigns with France and England respectively. Club staff have indicated the pair need time to rebuild match fitness after their post-World Cup breaks. The club’s reporting states they are expected to play a crucial role for Los Blancos under Mourinho once fully fit.

Arda Guler has produced promising performances during the ongoing pre-season run. Vinicius Junior has renewed his contract with Los Blancos and is listed as another important player under the new management. Other names cited as potentially influential include Federico Valverde and Bernardo Silva.

Real Madrid will continue their pre-season programme as they finalise preparations for the 2026-27 campaign under Jose Mourinho.