Federico Valverde will return to the Real Madrid starting lineup for the UEFA Champions League opener against Marseille at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

Real Madrid will aim to kick-start the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League campaign with a bang when they welcome Marseille to the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night. Xabi Alonso has received positive updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.

Jude Bellingham (shoulder) and Eduardo Camavinga (ankle) have recovered from their injuries, and Xabi Alonso has included the duo in the matchday squad to take on Marseille on Tuesday night.

However, Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy, and Endrick remain on the sidelines for the home side. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Alonso did not provide fitness updates on any player. Instead, the Spanish tactician discussed Dani Carvajal’s impact after returning from a long-term knee injury.

The Real Madrid manager said, “There’s one thing that hasn’t changed much, and that’s his competitive spirit. Ever since he came in during the 2013-14 season, he had that, and when he arrived from Leverkusen he played an important role in his first season. He gave us a lot, and we ended up winning the Champions League.”

“That hasn’t changed much over the years, but his personality, maturity, the influence he holds as a captain, with the experience he has at Madrid and the national team, the respect his teammates have for him, the sense of responsibility he instils, that’s all been developing and it’s what I’ve found now.”

The Real Madrid manager continued, “He was still recovering while we were in the United States, but now he’s fit enough to play, you can see what a positive impact he has on everyone around him. We need to have those kinds of leaders in a dressing room, they’re crucial. Carva is an example of that. There are lots of others and we need that strong core to guide the rest.”