Real Madrid assess key pair ahead of demanding away run

Real Madrid are preparing for Sunday’s meeting with Racing Santander while Arda Guler and Fede Valverde continue to follow an individual training programme away from the main group.

The pair worked separately for a second successive day after the Clasico, according to Sport. On Thursday, Guler and Valverde completed tailored sessions at the Valdebebas training centre, having trained in the gym on Wednesday.

There is optimism over both players’ condition. Medical tests on Valverde found no injury, while Guler is understood to be suffering from slight muscular fatigue. Despite their separate workload, both are expected to be available for the match against Racing Santander.

Valverde’s return to his best physical level will be particularly important to Real Madrid. The midfielder, who is the club’s first captain, has played 1,071 minutes in 13 matches across all competitions this season.

In La Liga, Valverde has started all 10 rounds played so far and has spent 801 minutes on the pitch.

Guler has also become an important part of head coach Jose Mourinho’s plans. The Turkey international has appeared in 12 matches in all competitions, playing 702 minutes, scoring three goals and providing four assists.

He has featured in all 10 La Liga rounds, starting eight of those matches, and has established himself as a regular contributor to Real Madrid’s attacking threat.

The physical preparation of both players takes on added importance with Real Madrid facing a demanding month of away fixtures.

The team will travel to Racing Santander on Sunday before heading to Athens to play AEK on 4 November. They will then end the week with a visit to Valencia at Mestalla on Saturday, 7 November.

Those three consecutive away matches will require careful management of the players’ workload as the club deals with a congested schedule.

Among the other injured players, Raul Asencio trained alone, while Rodrygo continued with his rehabilitation programme. The remainder of Thursday’s session involved ball work, tactical exercises and small-sided games.

Real Madrid’s next training session is scheduled for Friday. Monitoring the physical progress of Guler and Valverde will help determine the readiness of two key members of Mourinho’s team before the start of the club’s month-long run of away matches.