Valverde Faces Final Test: Will Real Madrid’s Captain Return Against Villarreal?
Real Madrid are living through hours of suspense before facing Villarreal, not because of the line-up or the tactics, but because of one player who is the heart of the team and its voice on the pitch, and whose weeks-long absence has left a clear gap.
The final decision on whether he plays will not be made in a press conference or in the dressing room, but in one last test during the final training session before the game, and the club has already made its position clear: it will not take any risks.
The player is Uruguayan captain Federico Valverde, who has been out since the Madrid derby against Atlético on September 20, when he took a heavy challenge from South Korea’s Kang-in Lee, with Real Madrid confirming two days later that he had suffered a grade 3 sprain of his left ankle.
Since then, Valverde has followed a treatment programme including physiotherapy, gym work and specific exercises, and he has recently been seen with his boots on the grass at Real Madrid’s training ground.
According to Spanish newspaper AS, Valverde will undergo a test on Friday during the final training session before the match to determine whether he will join José Mourinho’s squad for Saturday’s game against Villarreal.
The paper stressed that the club does not want to take any risks, and that his involvement will depend entirely on how he feels during the test, with the option of waiting and bringing him back in the following fixtures still on the table.
FútbolFantasy had reported that Valverde continued with individual work on Wednesday and was expected to train with the group on Thursday, but the club’s official report on Thursday’s session said he trained alone indoors.
In its official report, Real Madrid said the team completed its fourth training session of the week and that Mourinho now has all his internationals back after Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold rejoined, while Bellingham, Trent and Cucurella did individual work on the grass and indoors.
Asencio, Mendy and Rodrygo are also continuing their recovery from injury, which means that a return for Valverde, if it happens, would be a major boost for the team before a demanding run of fixtures.
Real Madrid host Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday at 9pm Madrid time in LaLiga’s eighth round.
