Real Madrid – Girona: Arbeloa reshapes the lineup for Jornada 31
Real Madrid – Girona opens Jornada 31 of LaLiga on Friday, April 10, at the Santiago Bernabéu, with Álvaro Arbeloa forced to balance league urgency and the looming trip to Bayern Munich. The Real Madrid – Girona match arrives after two straight defeats for the Madrid side, and the focus is on a response built around a heavily altered lineup. Arbeloa is making seven changes from the team that started against Bayern, while the squad also carries several injury and selection adjustments.
Seven changes and a return to the center of defense
The biggest shift is Éder Militao’s return to the starting XI. The Brazilian had played a few minutes against Mallorca after 14 matches out, then came on as a substitute against Bayern, and now starts again against Girona after receiving strong praise from Arbeloa. In that picture, Antonio Rüdiger is the player left out for this league fixture, with the European tie in mind.
Real Madrid still has Thibaut Courtois, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo Goes unavailable through injury for this Jornada 31 match. Girona arrives in mid-table form after beating Villarreal in Jornada 30, and the matchup comes with the Madrid side trying to recover from the surprise loss to Mallorca and the setback at home to Bayern.
Fortea and Yáñez step in as Mendy returns to the squad
The bench and squad list bring their own talking points. Fortea is included in a first-team call-up, while Yáñez earns another opportunity after leaving a good impression in a prior appearance. Mendy is also back in the squad, and the intention is to give him minutes to assess whether he can be ready for Munich next Wednesday.
Arbeloa also leaves out Rüdiger, Trent and Carreras for rest, while Mastantuono is absent because of suspension for accumulated yellow cards. The resulting squad underlines a clear split in priorities: protect key players, keep the league race alive, and prepare for the more decisive European test.
The confirmed Real Madrid lineup for Real Madrid – Girona is Andriy Lunin; Dani Carvajal, Éder Militao, Raúl Asencio, Fran García; Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga; Brahim Díaz, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Jr. Girona’s listed XI is Paulo Gazzaniga; Martínez Arnau, Vitor Reis, Francés, Alexandre Moreno Lopera; Viktor Tsygankov, Lemar, Axel Witsel, Iván Martín, Echeverri; Ounahi.
Why the Friday timing matters
The Friday slot gives Real Madrid extra recovery time before the return leg against Bayern, and that schedule is central to the week’s planning. LaLiga placed the match on Friday to help with the European turnaround, making this one of the clearest examples of a league fixture shaped by continental demands.
Arbeloa has stressed that the team is not treating the Girona game as a rehearsal. The message around Real Madrid – Girona is straightforward: compete hard now, avoid another slip, and arrive in Munich with enough energy to keep the season alive.
What comes next
What happens in Real Madrid – Girona will shape the mood heading into the Bayern match, with the squad list already showing how carefully the staff is managing minutes. If the plan works, Madrid will leave the Bernabéu with renewed momentum and clearer options for next Wednesday. If not, the pressure around Real Madrid – Girona will only grow as the calendar turns toward Munich.
