In the planning of Ancelotti's preseason, the sheet where the players' return dates are noted has been filled with names that will be incorporated into training from July 19, in the third week of work for the white squad. The elimination of Wales, Austria, Croatia, France and Germany in the round of 16 of the European Championship will advance the return of six internationals: Bale, Alaba, Modric, Varane, Benzema and Kroos. A week later, on the 26th, Courtois and Hazard will join, eliminated by Italy in the quarterfinals. In that round, Fede Valverde's Uruguay also fell in the Copa América, so the Uruguayan will rejoin together with the Belgians. Madrid only keeps the three Brazilian internationals in competition in the South American tournament: Militao, Casemiro and Vinicius with Brazil. The Verdeamarela faces Peru in the early hours of Monday to Tuesday in search of the final against the winner of Argentina-Colombia.
Ancelotti starts the season this Monday the 5th with 14 players: Lunin, Altube, Carvajal, Odriozola, Nacho, Marcelo, Mendy, Isco, Lucas Vázquez, Rodrygo and Mariano; in addition to Odegaard, Brahim and Jovic, who are returning from their assignments. They will be joined by a good handful of homegrown players, including some of those who had minutes with the first team last season (Blanco, Miguel Rodríguez, Marvin, Arribas, Chust …) and who, as the market evolves, have some option to stay.
That will be the working group the first two weeks of preseason. The club gives three weeks of vacation to internationals, so the first shipment of these should arrive the week of July 19. Bale and Alaba must join the same Monday (the Austrian defender, in addition, has to be officially presented as a new Madrid player), while Modric, Varane, Benzema and Kroos may one day have more margin to return. In the second shift, on Monday the 26th, Hazard, Courtois and Valverde will join …
Seven internationals in competition
The incorporation of the Brazilian internationals will depend on how far they go with their national teams.. They will not return, at the earliest, until the middle of the week of July 26. Y If they reach the final of the Copa América, they will not do so until August 2, with just 12 or 13 days of training ahead of him before the league debut against Alavés. The league visit to Mendizorroza will be the weekend of August 14 and 15.
What's more, Madrid will have the participation in the Tokyo Olympic Games of four footballers: Vallejo, Asensio, Ceballos and Kubo. Your participation in the Tokyo tournament will last until at least July 28. The final is played in Yokohama (where the Intercontinental Cup for years was the venue) on Saturday August 7, just a week before the League kicks off. With them, the list of 29 footballers that Madrid (plus Altube) has right now in a squad that must be reduced to 25 chips is completed.