Real Madrid XI vs. Villarreal: Rodrygo, Mastantuono Call Made—Injury News, Lineup Prediction

Álvaro Arbeloa faces his biggest test yet on the touchline.

Rodrygo was on fire before he suffered fitness problems. | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Real Madrid will look to make it three wins in a row under new boss Álvaro Arbeloa when they make the daunting trip to Villarreal on Saturday evening.

Despite all the talk of crisis at the Bernabéu this season, Los Blancos find themselves trailing Barcelona by just one point in the La Liga standings after the Catalan giants fell to Real Sociedad last weekend. Suddenly, the top of the table is within reach for the 15-time European champions less than two weeks after they parted ways with Xabi Alonso.

To keep the pressure on their bitter rivals, Real Madrid cannot afford any mistakes against third-place Villarreal. The Spanish giants will hope to carry the momentum of their impressive 6–1 rout over Monaco to the Estadio de la Cerámica.

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Match Snapshot

• 🕒 Kick-off time: 8 p.m. GMT, 3 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. PT
• 📍 Location: Estadio de la Cerámica
• 🏆 Competition: La Liga
• 📊 Recent form: WLLWW

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Team News

Aurélien Tchouaméni will miss the trip to Villarreal. | Manu Reino/DeFodi Images/DeFodi/Getty Images

• ⚠️ Key injuries, absentees: Aurélien Tchouaméni, Éder Militão, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy
• 🔢 Predicted formation: 4-3-3

Aurélien Tchouaméni is suspended for the trip to Villarreal due to yellow card accumulation, leaving Arbeloa without his anchor in the midfield. The Frenchman had previously featured in 18 of the team’s 20 La Liga bouts this season.

Real Madrid will also be without long-term absentees Éder Militão, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rüdiger and Ferland Mendy. Raúl Asencio, who suffered an injury scare midweek against Monaco, avoided joining his fellow defenders on the sidelines and is available for Saturday’s clash.

Rodrygo is back from injury as well, and Brahim Díaz is available for selection for the first time in nearly two months following the AFCON final.

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Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Villarreal

Rodrygo returns to the right wing after recovering from injury. | FotMob

GK: Thibaut Courtois—The Belgian is still hunting for his second clean sheet since the calendar flipped to 2026. Courtois would better like his chances with a more experienced defense playing in front of him.

RB: Federico Valverde—Despite his complaints at the beginning of the season, Valverde now looks more at home at right back than he does in the midfield. The captain thrives with freedom and space down the right flank.

CB: Raúl Asencio—Alarm bells sounded when Asencio only lasted 45 minutes against Monaco, but the center back looks to have avoided a major problem and is in line to start his 11th consecutive game.

CB: Dean Huijsen—The Spaniard admitted he “wasn’t at [his] best” over the last few months, but he is now fully healthy and looking to live up to his record-breaking £50 million ($67.2 million) price tag.

LB: Álvaro Carreras—The summer signing returns to the XI after serving his Champions League suspension against Monaco.

CM: Arda Güler—A game-changing performance off the bench against Levante won Güler his place back in the XI. The midfielder is the key to breaking down a low block, and his set piece delivery is second to none.

CM: Eduardo Camavinga—After a dazzling midweek performance at left back, Camavinga returns to his natural position to replace the suspended Tchouaméni.

CM: Jude Bellingham—The England international got back to scoring ways in Tuesday’s win and will have plenty of opportunities to crash the box and exploit a Villarreal’s backline.

RW: Rodrygo—Back from injury, Rodrygo reclaims his place on the right wing, sending Franco Mastantuono to the bench. The Brazil international had tallied six goal contributions in seven starts before he was sidelined.

ST: Kylian Mbappé—With 32 goals to his name this season, Mbappé far and away leads the team in scoring and remains one of the early favorites for the 2026 Ballon d’Or.

LW: Vinicius Junior—The Brazilian played his best game of 2025–26 against Monaco, creating three goals and bagging one of his own. The question remains if he can bring consistency back to his game.

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