Overview

• Xabi Alonso’s confirmed lineup pairs Kylian Mbappé with Gonzalo Garcia up front, with Vinicius Jr. on the left and Franco Mastantuono on the right in a 4-4-2.
• Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni start in central midfield behind a back four of Dani Carvajal, Raul Asencio, Eder Militao and Alvaro Carreras, with Thibaut Courtois in goal.
• Trent Alexander-Arnold is out with a hamstring injury expected to sideline him for six to eight weeks, and Dean Huijsen misses out due to a suspension LaLiga later acknowledged was issued in error.
• Antonio Rüdiger and Ferland Mendy remain unavailable, while Espanyol travel without top scorer Pere Milla through suspension but arrive unbeaten with 10 points from four matches.
• The match at the Santiago Bernabéu is scheduled for Saturday, with broadcasts listed on Premier Sports 1 in the UK and ESPN platforms in the U.S., including ESPN+.