Real Madrid returned to Valdebebas today with a clear message: the mini-break is over, and the real work for the business end of the season has begun. After a well-deserved two-day rest following the Rayo Vallecano victory, Alvaro Arbeloa’s squad stepped back onto the grass for a grueling three-hour marathon session dominated by the “Pintus Method.”
The Return of the Masks
The most striking image from today’s session was the sight of the squad wearing the infamous breathing masks. While often mistaken for altitude simulators, these masks are high-tech tools used by Antonio Pintus to measure oxygen intake and individual exertion levels.
By gathering this data now, the coaching staff can pinpoint exactly who is ready to be pushed and who needs a more tailored load. It’s about raising the physical ceiling of the team just as the title race intensifies.
Training Insights: A Rare Luxury
For a club used to the relentless “play-recover-play” cycle every three days, this week is a rare gift. Madrid spent a full three hours on the pitch—from noon until 3:00 PM—focusing heavily on conditioning. Without a midweek fixture to worry about, Arbeloa is using this window to “overload” the players’ fitness, essentially building a physical reserve for the final stretch of the campaign.
Injury Update: Who’s Back for Mestalla?
The medical room is finally starting to clear up, giving the coaching staff some much-needed selection headaches:
- Dani Carvajal: He has been integrated with the group for a while now. The word from Valdebebas is that he is fully ready and could very well start at Mestalla on Sunday night.
- Trent Alexander-Arnold: Expect to see him back in the matchday squad. His return is a tactical domino; it allows Arbeloa to potentially move Fede Valverde back into the engine room, where his energy is most effective.
- Rüdiger & Mendy: Both defenders are on the verge of a return and are expected to be available shortly.
- The Long-Term Absentees: Éder Militão and Jude Bellingham are still training individually. While their progress is positive, they aren’t expected back in the immediate future.
The Road Ahead
Madrid will have four consecutive training sessions to fine-tune tactics before heading to Valencia. With a similar uninterrupted week scheduled before the Real Sociedad clash, the goal is clear: use this time to become the fittest team in Spain.
Rest is officially over. Under Pintus, the engines are being revved up for the run-in.