Huijsen, Alexander-Arnold start training with Real Madrid

Real Madrid held their training session at the Valdebebas training complex with two new faces in the group: Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Both signings joined a workout that also featured the returning internationals.

Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold, the club’s two reinforcements for the Club World Cup, took part in their first session under Xabi Alonso, alongside Luka Modric, Kylian Mbappe, Aurelien Tchouameni and Jude Bellingham.

The team is entering its final days in Madrid before flying to the United States for the tournament.

Friday’s workout was the fourth of the week and marked a key moment in preparations. With Alexander-Arnold and Huijsen now on board, Alonso also welcomed back most of the internationals. Vinicius Junior, Arda Guler and Andriy Lunin are expected to join up later this week in Miami.

Modric, Mbappe, Tchouameni and Bellingham all trained at full intensity. For Huijsen and Alexander-Arnold, it was a first chance to meet their new teammates and start adapting to the team’s tempo, with a debut pencilled in for next Wednesday against Al Hilal in the Club World Cup opener.

There was a special reunion on the pitch between Xabi Alonso and Luka Modric. The pair were part of the side that won it all in Madrid colours a decade ago—now reunited in very different roles: Alonso as coach, Modric still on the pitch at 39.

Alonso gathered the group before the session began and gave his first on-pitch instructions, laying out some of the principles behind the Madrid he wants to build.

The drills that followed reflected his high-intensity approach: physical work to start, then a series of attack-vs-defence exercises and small-sided matches on reduced pitches to wrap up the day, as reported by the club.

Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba, all nearing the end of their recoveries, took part in parts of the session with the group but did not join the high-intensity drills. Their chances of being involved on Wednesday remain slim.

Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga and Endrick have been ruled out of the tournament and continued their rehab programmes on the side.

Madrid will hold one final session in the Spanish capital on Saturday morning, before flying out to Miami. The squad is scheduled to arrive in Florida at 18.00 local time.