Mourinho names Mbappe and Konate in Real Madrid starting XI for Schalke friendly

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has named Kylian Mbappe and Ibrahima Konate in his starting line-up for the friendly against Schalke as the Spanish club continues its preparations for the 2026-27 season.

The match will be played at Schalke’s stadium and represents Konate’s first appearance in the Real Madrid line-up since joining the club. Mbappe also starts, leading the attack alongside Brahim Diaz and Vinicius Junior.

Thibaut Courtois is selected in goal, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras forming the defence.

Bernardo Silva, Federico Valverde and Arda Guler make up the midfield, while Diaz, Mbappe and Vinicius are named in the forward positions.

Mourinho’s full Real Madrid starting XI is:

Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras

Midfielders: Bernardo Silva, Federico Valverde, Arda Guler

Forwards: Brahim Diaz, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior

Real Madrid go into the fixture after winning their previous match 1-0 against Deportivo La Coruna. The victory is the latest stage of their build-up to the new campaign, with the club using the meeting with Schalke as part of its pre-season preparations.

The presence of Konate is a notable feature of the line-up, with the defender included for the first time since his move to Real Madrid. Mbappe’s selection also gives him a starting role as the team continues to prepare for competitive football.

After the friendly, Real Madrid are due to face Espanyol on matchday two of La Liga. Their opening-round fixture against Real Sociedad was postponed, meaning the meeting with Espanyol is set to be their next league match.

The Schalke game therefore provides Real Madrid with another opportunity to prepare their squad before the league programme resumes. Mourinho has selected a side combining established players, new arrivals and young talent, with Courtois, Valverde, Mbappe and Vinicius among those included from the start.

The fixture is being played ahead of the 2026-27 season, while Real Madrid’s immediate competitive focus will be their scheduled match against Espanyol after the postponement of the encounter with Real Sociedad.