Why did Kylian Mbappé & Vinicius Jr miss Real Madrid vs Leganes pre-season friendly?

This was Real Madrid’s second match under new manager Jose Mourinho.

Real Madrid continued their preparations for the 2026-27 season with a behind-closed-doors friendly against CD Leganes at Valdebebas on Tuesday. The match was Los Blancos’ second pre-season outing under returning manager Jose Mourinho after they began their summer schedule with a 1-0 win over Alcorcón on July 24 at the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium.

Mourinho used a 4-2-3-1 formation in that opening fixture, blending experienced first-team players with academy prospects. Although Arda Güler had an early penalty saved, Daniel Yáñez converted from the spot later in the game to hand Real Madrid a narrow victory.

For the Leganes clash, the Portuguese coach once again rotated his squad to continue evaluating players ahead of the new campaign. However, two of the club’s biggest stars, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr, were once again absent from the matchday squad.

Why did Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr miss the Leganes friendly?

Mbappe and Vinicius Jr were unavailable because they had not yet returned from their extended summer break following the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Both players were granted additional time off after representing their respective national teams deep into the tournament. As a result, neither had rejoined Mourinho’s pre-season camp in time for Real Madrid’s opening friendly.

The same applied to several other first-team regulars, including Jude Bellingham, who were still on their post-World Cup break. Instead of rushing them back, the club opted to continue preparations with the players already available at Valdebebas.

Also Read: Top five clubs that can sign Vinicius Jr from Real Madrid

Who played for Real Madrid against Leganes?

Real Madrid were also without a few injured players. Thibaut Courtois remained sidelined after suffering a thigh injury during Belgium’s FIFA World Cup quarterfinal defeat to Spain. Although the injury was not considered serious, the Belgian goalkeeper was expected to miss a significant part of pre-season. Éder Militão and Rodrygo were also unavailable as they continued their recovery.

With several senior stars unavailable, Mourinho handed opportunities to a mix of experienced first-team players and promising youngsters from Real Madrid Castilla.

Summer arrivals were yet to join the squad, hence academy talents were given another chance to impress Mourinho. Gonzalo Garcia led the attack, while Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde and Arda Güler all featured from the start.

Real Madrid starting lineup vs Leganes

Starting XI: Lunin; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen, Raul Asencio, Álvaro Carreras; Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Arda Güler; Franco Mastantuono, Alexis Ciria, Gonzalo Garcia.

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