Overview

• LaLiga confirmed Real Madrid’s season opener at the Santiago Bernabéu against Osasuna on August 19 after denying the club’s request for a delayed start following the Club World Cup.
• Xabi Alonso said he will not use the team’s two-week preseason as an excuse and expects performance on the pitch to validate his methods.
• Real will be without Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga and Ferland Mendy due to injuries, and Antonio Rüdiger is suspended for the opener.
• New defensive signings Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen and Álvaro Carreras are set to bolster the backline and could all feature in the starting XI.
• Alonso backed Real Madrid’s formal opposition to a December LaLiga fixture in Miami, arguing that any rule change requires unanimous approval from all league participants.