Mourinho makes striking Real Madrid selection for first La Liga test against Espanyol

Jose Mourinho will return to La Liga on Saturday when he takes charge of Real Madrid in his first official match of the season, with Espanyol providing the opposition at the RCDE Stadium.

The Portuguese manager is aiming to begin his latest spell in charge with a victory that would put Real Madrid on the road back towards challenging at the top of the competition. His first league match since returning comes after a lengthy absence from Spain’s top flight.

According to Spanish newspaper AS, Mourinho’s last La Liga fixture was 4,830 days ago, when he led Real Madrid to a 4-2 victory over Osasuna on 1 June 2013.

His return has been complicated by an extensive injury list. Real Madrid will be without Eder Militao, Rodrygo, Tiago Pitarch, Ferland Mendy, Marco Asensio and Endrick for the meeting with Espanyol.

Aurelien Tchouameni has resumed training with the rest of the squad but is not yet considered ready to play. His absence further reduces Mourinho’s options as he prepares for his first competitive examination of the campaign.

Despite those setbacks, the manager has been able to select from a number of alternatives across the team. He has also opted to place several new signings directly into the starting line-up, showing confidence in the players available for the opening test.

Thibaut Courtois starts in goal. In front of him, the defence is made up of Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras.

Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva and Arda Guler form the midfield, while Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe lead the attack.

The selection represents an immediate indication of Mourinho’s plans for his return to Spanish football. With several established players unavailable, the manager has combined experienced figures with new arrivals and younger options in an attempt to overcome the disruption caused by the injuries.

Real Madrid’s visit to Espanyol will therefore serve as both Mourinho’s first official match of the season and his first La Liga appearance since 2013. The coach will be looking for his chosen side to deliver a winning start at the RCDE Stadium, despite the long list of absentees and the limited availability of Tchouameni.