Real Madrid Set for Key Returns After World Cup

Real Madrid are set to welcome back several of their biggest stars as preparations for the new season enter another important stage.

According to reports from Partidazo COPE, Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Ibrahima Konaté and Marc Cucurella are due to return to training this week after their extended World Cup break.

However, reports indicate that the five players will not necessarily all train on Monday. AS reports that Bellingham, Mbappé, Tchouaméni and Konaté are expected to return between Monday and Wednesday, while Cucurella is likely to be the last of the group to rejoin José Mourinho's squad.

Their return will be a major boost for Mourinho, who has been working with a reduced squad during pre-season because of the World Cup.

The Portuguese manager has already welcomed several players back, including Vinícius Jr., Federico Valverde, Thibaut Courtois and Bernardo Silva. The squad has gradually grown as players have completed their post-World Cup holidays.

The timing is important for Madrid. The club are preparing for their opening La Liga match against Espanyol on August 22, while they also have a friendly against Deportivo La Coruña on August 12.

Mourinho will now have the chance to work with most of his key players together and begin shaping his preferred starting XI.

With Mbappé, Bellingham, Tchouaméni, Konaté and Cucurella finally returning, the pressure on Mourinho to quickly build a settled Real Madrid side is about to increase.