The 5 players available for Xabi Alonso in his first training session, one is leaving

In mid-June, the Club World Cup will be held, the last title at stake after a long and demanding season. With time running out, Xabi Alonso will barely have time to get to know his squad in depth and prepare for the tournament. For this reason, the date for the start of training in Valdebebas has already been set.

The first session will be on June 9, although he will only be able to count on five first-team footballers: Dani Ceballos, Fran García, Jesús Vallejo, Lucas Vázquez, and Rodrygo. The rest of the players will join later for various reasons, mainly international commitments or recovery processes.

International players will start later

As many as eleven Real Madrid players are currently with their respective national teams, which means a significant workload and international travel. Footballers like Modric, Courtois, Vinicius, or Mbappé will arrive with a high level of fatigue, which makes Xabi Alonso's planning for the next major challenge even more complicated.

In addition, other members of the squad are injured and will not be able to participate in the first sessions or in the Club World Cup. This further reduces the room for maneuver for the Basque coach.

Although competing in the World Cup represents an opportunity to add a new title, at Real Madrid they are aware that it could become a setback. The limited time to prepare for the tournament, combined with injuries and international commitments, considerably limits the work of the new coach.

Xabi Alonso is also keeping a close eye on La Fábrica

Xabi Alonso has arrived at Real Madrid with a clear idea: to bet on the youth academy more than Carlo Ancelotti did. The Basque coach has always trusted young players, and now La Fábrica may find a golden opportunity to show their worth. In the midst of so many absences, the academy players are emerging as the best solution to complete training sessions and face the demanding schedule.

In the first training sessions, Xabi will turn to reserve team footballers to complement the five first-team players who will be available. This will be a trial by fire for the young players, who will be able to use it to convince the new coach and earn a spot. In addition, some of them will be part of the squad that will travel to the United States to compete in the Club World Cup.