Injury Crisis Strikes Real Madrid Defense as Alonso Faces Kairat Challenge
Following a humiliating loss in the Madrid derby just three days prior, Real Madrid are set to resume their Champions League campaign against Kairat.
Real Madrid witnessed their flawless beginning to the 2025–26 campaign shattered by Atlético Madrid over the weekend. Xabi Alonso's squad endured a catastrophic 5–2 loss at the Metropolitano, enabling arch-rivals Barcelona to seize early command of the La Liga championship race.
Los Blancos have minimal opportunity to dwell on the setback, however; the Spanish powerhouse embarked on the lengthy journey to Asia just 24 hours afterward to gear up for their second Champions League league phase encounter. Real Madrid will face Kazakhstan Premier League outfit Kairat for the very first time.
Despite the obvious disparity between these two teams, Alonso faces significant personnel shortages for this fixture. Both Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão have joined Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rüdiger and Ferland Mendy on the injury list, leaving the 15-time European champions without a natural first-team right-back.
Here's how Real Madrid's starting eleven might appear for this Champions League encounter.
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Kairat (4-2-3-1)
GK: Thibaut Courtois—Following a performance where he managed only two saves while allowing five goals in Saturday's Madrid derby, Courtois will seek a restorative display in European competition.
RB: Federico Valverde—With both Alexander-Arnold and Carvajal sidelined, Valverde once again takes on his makeshift right-back role.
CB: Raúl Asencio—Though he has slipped in Alonso's hierarchy this summer, the Real Madrid Castilla graduate unexpectedly finds himself poised to make his third start of the campaign.
CB: Dean Huijsen—Huijsen will aim to compensate for his underwhelming display against Atlético Madrid.
LB: Fran García—Álvaro Carreras' disappointing weekend performance creates an opportunity for García to earn some minutes. The Spanish defender has accumulated just 112 minutes this season.
DM: Eduardo Camavinga—The French midfielder could make an unexpected inclusion in Alonso's starting lineup, earning his first start since April.
DM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—Tchouaméni is set to make his 155th appearance in the famous white jersey. Dani Ceballos remains another possibility should Alonso choose extensive rotation.
AM: Arda Güler—The 20-year-old is building exceptional understanding with Mbappé that has driven Los Blancos' offensive play in recent matches. Güler has already recorded six goal contributions in 2025–26.
RW: Franco Mastantuono—Anticipate Mastantuono's return to the right flank after being excluded from the season's first Madrid derby. The Argentine represents the creative spark Real Madrid sorely lacked against Diego Simeone's team.
ST: Kylian Mbappé—Alonso may consider resting Mbappé, but it appears nearly impossible to exclude the France skipper from his starting eleven. The star striker has already scored 12 goals in his previous 10 matches for club and country.
LW: Vinícius Júnior—Vinícius Júnior will seek to earn his first Champions League start under Alonso after being surprisingly restricted to a substitute appearance against Marseille.
