Arda Guler rejoins Real Madrid group training, but Valverde, Asencio and Rodrygo remain sidelined

Good news at Ciudad Real Madrid. Arda Guler was back training normally with the rest of the squad this Friday, after several days working separately due to discomfort he'd been carrying since the end of the Clasico. The Turkish playmaker was, in fact, the big story of the week's third session as the team continues preparing for the trip to El Sardinero, where it visits Racing Santander on Sunday in matchday 11 of LaLiga.

Not everyone shared the same fortune. Federico Valverde, who had to leave the field in the second half of the Clasico against Barcelona with a physical issue, is still not back with the group. The Uruguayan has now gone several sessions doing individualized work, the same plan he shared on Thursday with Guler before the Turkish international took the step of rejoining the squad. Raul Asencio joins him on the sidelines, also training alone on the pitch, while Rodrygo continues his own recovery process apart from his teammates.

As for the session itself, the team led by Jose Mourinho opened with the usual warmup and activation exercises before getting into the meat of the work: ball circulation drills finishing on goal, followed by a tactical phase already geared toward Santander. The session wrapped up, as is typical, with small sided games to sharpen legs and minds.

Will any of the injured players be ready in time for Sunday? There's still a window. Real Madrid will hold its final session before departure this Saturday, and that's when it should become clearer who can make the squad and who needs a bit more time. There's plenty riding on it: the team wants to extend the good run that followed its Clasico win, and doing so at El Sardinero, always an uncomfortable venue, would be the best way to confirm that momentum is for real.