Real Madrid veteran in line to start against Real Sociedad – first time under Arbeloa | OneFootball

Earlier today, Real Madrid held their final training session before facing Real Sociedad on Saturday night at the Santiago Bernabeu.

With Barcelona not scheduled to play until Monday night, Los Blancos have an excellent chance to take the lead in the La Liga table and put pressure on their rivals.

Despite performances not being always up to the mark, Alvaro Arbeloa has won all his matches in charge in La Liga since taking over as manager and will hope to maintain that record against La Real.

Carvajal to start?

Leading up to the game, MARCA reports that Real Madrid veteran and club captain Dani Carvajal could be in line to make his first start under Arbeloa.

In the final training session before facing Real Sociedad, Arbeloa tested a possible starting XI that included the captain at right-back. If it reflects the coach’s intentions, Carvajal could start for the first time in nearly a month and a half since receiving medical clearance.

After being left on the bench against Valencia, where academy product David Jimenez started and Trent Alexander-Arnold later came on, Carvajal was left visibly frustrated, sparking speculations about his situation and future at the club.

Set to start. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

However, things changed earlier this week, when Arbeloa and Carvajal held a face-to-face meeting at Valdebebas. The conversation, described as calm and constructive, helped clear misunderstandings and ease tensions.

Both sides exchanged views openly, aiming to strengthen unity within the squad. Given Carvajal’s leadership status inside Real Madrid, restoring normality was seen as essential.

Another significant step was Arbeloa’s decision to return Jimenez to Castilla for their match against Bilbao Athletic.

Despite the youngster’s strong performance at Mestalla, the move effectively reopened the door for Carvajal to reclaim minutes with the first team.

Now, with the captain included in the likely starting lineup during training, he appears to be in line to feature from the get-go against Real Sociedad.