Real Madrid’s record signing Yan Diomande has been included in the squad for the first time as Jose Mourinho’s side prepare to face Schalke in their final friendly before the new LaLiga season.
Diomande, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham are all set to feature in the squad named by Mourinho on Saturday for Sunday’s meeting with the German club in Gelsenkirchen.
The match will be Real Madrid’s final warm-up before their LaLiga campaign begins on 22 August, when they travel to face Espanyol.
Marc Cucurella, Thibaut Courtois and Ibrahima Konate have also been selected for the first time since Mourinho became Real Madrid coach. The trio, like Diomande, Mbappe and Bellingham, had been away on holiday after representing their countries at the World Cup.
Diomande joined Real Madrid from RB Leipzig in a deal worth 140m euros, including bonuses, making him the club’s new record signing. His arrival is part of a significant reshaping of the squad after Real Madrid went two consecutive seasons without winning a major trophy.
Cucurella and Konate were among the other players brought in as the club sought to strengthen the team ahead of the new campaign.
Mourinho’s selection for the Schalke fixture therefore brings together a number of Real Madrid’s most significant additions, as well as established stars Mbappe and Bellingham. It also marks the first opportunity for Diomande, Cucurella, Courtois and Konate to be named in a matchday squad under the Portuguese manager.
Real Madrid will use the game in Gelsenkirchen as their final preparation for competitive action. Their first LaLiga fixture follows six days later at Espanyol, with Mourinho’s team beginning the season after an overhaul prompted by their failure to secure a major trophy in each of the previous two campaigns.
The inclusion of Diomande is likely to attract particular attention, given the size of the transfer that brought him to the Spanish club. The 140m-euro agreement with RB Leipzig, including bonuses, makes him the headline arrival in Real Madrid’s latest rebuild.
The match against Schalke will also provide the first chance for the newly selected players to appear together in the squad during the final stage of pre-season.
