Injury-hit Real Madrid could hand Brahim Diaz a key role in Mourinho’s La Liga return

Real Madrid are expected to include Brahim Diaz in their starting line-up when Jose Mourinho begins his second spell in charge with a La Liga meeting against Espanyol at RCDE Stadium on Saturday evening.

The match will be Mourinho’s first competitive game since returning to the club, with Real facing an early test against an Espanyol side boosted by an emphatic opening-day victory. Espanyol beat Levante 3-0 in their first league fixture and will be hoping to maintain that momentum against one of the leading contenders for the title.

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Real Madrid will travel to Barcelona with a lengthy injury list, while the hosts will also be without several players.

Espanyol defender Leandro Cabrera remains unavailable as he completes a suspension. The home side are also missing Javi Puado and Kike Garcia because of injuries.

Real Madrid’s list of absentees is considerably longer. Ferland Mendy, Marco Asensio, Eder Militao, Aurelien Tchouameni, Tiago Pitarch, Rodrygo and Endrick are all ruled out with fitness problems.

The shortage of available players has led Mourinho to call up three members of the club’s academy: Mario Rivas, Sestero and Alexis Seria.

Despite those setbacks, Real are expected to field a strong side, with Brahim Diaz, Arda Guler and Vinicius Junior supporting Kylian Mbappe in attack. The predicted XI is:

Thibaut Courtois; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras; Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva; Brahim Diaz, Arda Guler, Vinicius Junior; Kylian Mbappe.

The fixture represents the beginning of Real Madrid’s attempt to reclaim the Spanish title after it was won by Barcelona in each of the past two seasons. Mourinho’s return has added further attention to the opening game, although his team will have to negotiate the challenge with a depleted squad.

Espanyol, meanwhile, will view the game as an opportunity to build on their impressive start and collect a result against one of the strongest teams in the division. Their 3-0 win over Levante provides confidence, but the visit of Real will offer a significantly tougher examination.

Mourinho previously coached Real Madrid before returning to lead the club again, and Saturday’s game will be his first official appearance on the touchline since taking charge for a second time. The expected inclusion of Brahim Diaz is among the main selection points before kick-off, with Real’s injuries limiting the manager’s options across defence, midfield and attack.

The game will be played at RCDE Stadium, with both sides beginning the campaign under different pressures: Espanyol seeking to extend their early momentum and Real Madrid starting their challenge to Barcelona’s recent dominance.

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