Real Madrid Name Benfica Roster After Concerning Kylian Mbappe Revelation

The Frenchman has scored nearly half of all Real Madrid’s 73 goals this season.

Kylian Mbappé was initially a doubt to face Benfica. | Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Kylian Mbappé has been named in Real Madrid’s squad for this week’s Champions League match against Benfica, after training separately from the main group on Monday.

Mbappé scored twice against Villarreal in La Liga at the weekend, taking his goal tally on the season to 34 across all competitions and accounting for 47% of the team’s entire collective output.

But reports in Spain revealed the Frenchman didn’t do the practice session at Valdebebas as the new week began, instead working individually to seemingly manage and protect his match health.

Left back Álvaro Carreras was in a similar position, but both were named to the midweek roster by new manager Álvaro Arbeloa, who is riding a wave of three successive wins after a rocky start.

The team has already traveled to Portugal and will do a session in Lisbon on Tuesday before taking to the field for the match itself on Wednesday.

Assuming there are no unforeseen issues, both Mbappé and Carreras would be expected to start a fixture that still has something at stake for Los Blancos.

They sit third in the Champions League league phase standings, but only two points ahead of Barcelona in ninth place. Victory against Benfica guarantees an automatic bye to the round of 16, skipping the knockout playoff. But anything less could leave Real at least a little bit vulnerable to falling out of the all-important top eight and needing to play in that avoidable extra round.

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Real Madrid Roster vs. Benfica—Jan. 28, 2026

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin, Fran González.

Defenders: Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Raúl Asencio, Álvaro Carreras, Fran García, Dean Huijsen, Diego Aguado.

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Arda Güler, Dani Ceballos, Jorge Cestero.

Forwards: Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappé, Rodrygo, Gonzalo García, Brahim Díaz, Franco Mastantuono.

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Alexander-Arnold, Rüdiger Close to Returning

Trent Alexander-Arnold is being reintegrated with the full group. | David S. Bustamante/Real Madrid/Getty Images

Defensive pair Trent Alexander-Arnold and Antonio Rüdiger were absent from the Benfica list, but there is hope that both could return to full health within the next 12 days.

Alexander-Arnold is yet to play in 2026 because of a muscle tear suffered in early December. Rüdiger has also been absent since before the winter break because of knee trouble. Both players were additionally out with hamstring problems earlier in the season.

In Spain, El Partizado de COPE reported on Monday that Alexander-Arnold and Rüdiger have each begun partial training with the rest of the group and are improving. While neither will play against Benfica this week, they will be considered “ready” for action in either this Sunday’s upcoming La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano, or against Valencia on Feb. 8 the following weekend.

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