Real Madrid rocked before Rayo: Tchouameni, Rüdiger, Carvajal miss final training as Valverde shifts central

On the eve of a tricky trip to face Rayo, Real Madrid’s final training list omitted three pillars: Aurelien Tchouameni, Antonio Rüdiger and Dani Carvajal. That strips the spine at 6, center back and right back. One fan cheerfully noted Fede Valverde finally returning to midfield, but that’s a patch, not a plan. Mastantuono being listed felt like a wink - he isn’t even a Madrid player. As someone who has stood in hostile away tunnels, this is exactly when an opponent senses blood. Rayo will. The atmosphere will squeeze, and Madrid’s margin for error just shrank.

In the final session before facing Rayo Vallecano, Real Madrid conducted a closed workout at Valdebebas. The training list did not include Aurelien Tchouameni, Antonio Rüdiger or Dani Carvajal, three starters who typically anchor the team’s defensive structure and first phase build up. Fede Valverde is expected to operate in central midfield rather than fill in at right back. A reference to Franco Mastantuono also circulated, although he remains a River Plate prospect and is not part of the Madrid squad. The backdrop is a tight league run where away trips to compact grounds demand control, composure and a full deck of senior options.

Final training session ahead of tomorrow's game: ❌️ Tchouameni ❌️ Rüdiger ❌️ Carvajal ❌️ Mastantuono

@MadridXtra

Impact Analysis

If you are a rival, this is the sweet sound of opportunity. Madrid’s balance depends on three gears: Tchouameni breaking play and starting transitions, Rüdiger sweeping the back line, and Carvajal providing width plus leadership. Remove all three and you rip out the spine. The knock-on is immediate. Without Tchouameni, Kroos or Camavinga must drop deeper, slowing Madrid’s vertical jumps. No Rüdiger means the last-ditch pace and front-foot aggression that bail them out of loose moments disappears. Carvajal’s absence takes away the reliable overlap and the stabilizing voice on the right side.

I’ve been in dressing rooms the night before a hostile away match. If your final training is missing leaders, the rest of the group overcompensates. Fullbacks hesitate. Midfield spacing stretches. Center backs turn safe. Opponents smell it and push five to ten meters higher. Rayo will funnel pressure onto the right channel, force makeshift passing lanes and attack second balls. Madrid’s set-piece defense also dips without Rüdiger’s aerial dominance. Even if they scrape a result, the energy cost rises, which matters with fixtures piling up. Long story short, this is not a paper cut - it’s three at once.

Reaction

Fan chatter hit familiar beats. Rival voices jumped in first: a few confidently predicting a Rayo shock, some flat out saying Madrid will lose. Madrid loyalists pushed back with the usual steel - “we’re still getting a win today, Hala Madrid” - and they’ve earned that faith across countless comebacks. Others focused on the silver lining: Valverde finally in his natural midfield role rather than deputizing at right back. That tweak pleases purists who want his ball-carrying and pressing in central lanes.

There’s also anxiety. A couple of fans pleaded for a must-win response, asking for a ruthless performance. One asked the question that matters most: will this actually be a win, or will the makeshift back line crack under pressure. Among the noise, someone joked about Mastantuono being listed despite not being a Madrid player, which tells you how online banter can muddy the waters before a ball is kicked. Strip it down and you get two camps: Madrid fans banking on mentality and structure, rivals smelling the best chance they’ll get at a gritty ground.

Social reactions

You’re going to lose to Rayo tomorrow

(fan) Deeney (@FCBDeeney)

HALA MADRID Y NADA MÀS

Rooting33 (@rachidoup)

Finally Valverde will be playing as midfielder instead of Right Back

Anii (@MadridAnii)

Prediction

From a rival’s lens, this sets up a grisly evening for Madrid if Rayo keep the game ragged. Expect Rayo to press asymmetrically to Madrid’s right, target the stand-in fullback, and crowd the near post on crosses where Rüdiger’s usual dominance would clear the mess. Second balls around the D become Rayo’s gold mine. If Madrid lean on Valverde centrally, the temptation will be to race through the middle. That opens transition traps. An early foul count against Madrid wouldn’t surprise me either, a sign they’re half a step late without Tchouameni’s timing.

Scenario A: Madrid edge it 0-1 or 1-2 with a moment of quality from Vinicius or Bellingham, but they burn fuel and invite pressure late. Scenario B - my pick - Rayo take a point at least, 1-1 or even 2-1 if they score first. Corner-forced chaos, a scrappy rebound, and the stadium erupts. Madrid can still paper over, yet without their defensive anchors the margin evaporates. If this drags into a fight rather than a chess match, Rayo win the arguments that matter.

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Conclusion

I’ve played these fixtures. Small pitch, loud stands, a referee who lets it run, and suddenly every 50-50 becomes a storm. Madrid losing Tchouameni, Rüdiger and Carvajal for the final tune-up is more than an inconvenience. It’s tactical shape-shifting on the fly. Sure, Valverde in midfield is a plus, but it fixes one lane while leaving others exposed. Madrid will need ice-cold game management, fewer touches in their own third, and a cleaner first pass out of pressure than they have shown in recent patchwork lineups.

From where I’m sitting - and I’ve been the underdog savoring this exact picture - Rayo will press high early and test the stand-ins. If Madrid keep a clean first 20 minutes, they can settle and nick it with individual quality. If not, expect the home side to grow two sizes and the visitors to shrink one. In a title race, nights like this decide who blinks. With these absences, Madrid’s eyelids are already heavy.