Real Madrid have three absences and have added youth goalkeeper Javi Navarro to the squad for Tuesday's real madrid vs alaves at the Santiago Bernabéu, a match that follows their UEFA Champions League exit to Bayern Munich.
Arbeloa Sets Seven-Match Demand
Arbeloa framed the fixture as a must-win run when he addressed the media before the match. "Son siete partidos que son más importantes de lo que puede parecer. Nos va la vida en ello y mañana tenemos que demostrar la importancia de esos siete partidos para nuestro equipo. Espero un Bernabéu en familia y orgulloso de cómo jugó su equipo en Munich".
Javi Navarro Joins Squad
Javi Navarro, the youth goalkeeper who saved five penalties across the UEFA Youth League semifinal and final shootouts, is part of the first-team squad for the game and will be among the youth team members the club honors before kickoff. Navarro played a key role in Real Madrid's Youth League title run and his presence provides a specific, immediate roster option in goal while the club manages absences.
Rodrygo, Courtois, Asencio Absent
Real Madrid list three absences: Raúl Asencio, Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo Goes. Rodrygo suffered a serious knee injury on March 3 and will be out until next season. Courtois has started training on the grass and could return in the coming weeks, while Asencio remains sidelined.
The timing sharpens the stakes: Madrid sit nine points behind FC Barcelona in LaLiga with seven matches remaining, and Arbeloa has been explicit about the need to win every one of those fixtures. The midweek 4-3 loss to Bayern Munich that ended their Champions League run adds weight to the Bernabéu test.
Alavés arrive one point above the relegation zone and on a four-match unbeaten run described as their best of the season, with Toni Martínez contributing three goals and one assist across his last three matches and Lucas Boyé recovered from plantar fasciitis. That form makes them a concrete challenge rather than a routine fixture for a Madrid side managing injuries.
Sports Illustrated listed a possible Real Madrid lineup with Andriy Lunin in goal and Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius up front, while OneFootball named Antonio Sivera and Toni Martínez in an Alavés XI; those projected lineups underline the selection questions Arbeloa must resolve before kickoff.
Arbeloa returned to the seven-match demand in closing remarks: "Quedan siete partidos, hay que ganar los siete y cuando acabe esta temporada pensaremos en la siguiente y en todas las cosas que tenemos que volver a hacer bien para ganar." The youth-team tribute and Navarro's call-up make him the human emblem of that message as Real Madrid attempt to translate it into results at the Bernabéu.
