Confirmed Starting Lineup For Real Madrid vs Valencia In The La Liga Clash As Arbeloa Rings The Changes

Real Madrid are one of the last games of the weekend, as they face Valencia at the Mestalla. It's a must-win for Los Blancos, who are now four points behind Barcelona after their win.
Alvaro Arbeloa has made several changes, all of which were forced. With Jude Bellingham and Rodryfo injured, that left some big decisions. On top of that, Vinicius Jr. is suspended, making it more difficult for the Spanish head coach.
Forward Gonzalo Garcia comes in up top, to play alongside Kylian Mbappe. Don't be surprised to see the Frenchman drift out to the left with the absence of Vini Jr. Arda Guler could play from the right of a three, but that could also be two up top.
👕 Dressing room READY! pic.twitter.com/ylH4uptPzH
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 8, 2026
Eduardo Camavinga moves up into midfield after playing at left-back against Rayo Vallecano. A big surprise is Fede Valverde moving back to midfield. Dani Carvajal does not start at right-back, with David Jimenez getting the start.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Antonio Rudiger are on the bench after their injuries, which is great news for Arbeloa.
Real Madrid starting lineup vs Valencia:

1. Courtois
35. D. Jimenez
17. Asencio
24. Huijsen
18. Carreras
14. Tchouaméni
15. Guler
8. Valverde
6. Camavinga
10. Mbappe
16. G. Garcia
📋✅ Our starting XI!
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 8, 2026
🆚 @valenciacf_en pic.twitter.com/IL2zoy0sfF
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Jordan Merritt is a staff writer for Real Madrid On SI. Before joining On SI, he wrote at Fansided, covering Ole Miss football, basketball, and baseball. He has also written for YardBarker, Heavy Sports, and the official EFL site. Merritt is a big sports fan, spending most of his weekends watching Soccer, the NFL, the NBA, college football/basketball, and others. Before starting his career as a freelance writer, Merritt was an Engineer for over 10 years. He lives in West Yorkshire, England, and is keenly interested in sports trading cards.
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