Real Madrid will lock horns with SL Benfica tomorrow night at the Santiago Bernabeu in a crucial UEFA Champions League encounter.
It will be the second leg of the knockout playoff tie, with Los Blancos securing a 1-0 win in the first leg in Lisbon last week in a match marred by controversy after alleged racist abuse directed at Vinicius Jr. by Gianluca Prestianni.
Real Madrid players trained at Valdebebas today preparing for what could be a tense affair at the Bernabeu.
Thiago Pitarch, Jorge Cestero to be called up
Now, according to journalist Guillermo Rai of The Athletic, Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa is set to call up youngsters Thiago Pitarch and Jorge Cestero for the game against Benfica.
The Merengues trained today without midfielders Jude Bellingham and Dani Ceballos, both of whom are currently injured, with the latter getting sidelined after a calf issue he picked up vs Osasuna.
Jorge Cestero set to be in the squad vs Benfica. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
As such, the two young midfield prospects, who have been rotated in and out of the first-team setup in recent weeks by Arbeloa, worked with the rest of the squad.
So, the expectation is that the Real Madrid head coach will include both Thiago and Cestero in the squad list to face Benfica tomorrow.
Cestero made his first-team debut under Xabi Alonso back in December 2025, featuring as a substitute against Talavera in the Copa del Rey. Since then, he has featured four more times under Arbeloa, including in the first leg against Benfica.
As for Thiago, he made his senior debut in the first leg at Estadio da Luz last week, coming on as a late substitute.
It remains to be seen whether either of them see any action against Benfica, but they are set to be named in the squad list which is expected to be announced tomorrow morning.