Real Madrid will conclude their largely disappointing 2025. 26 La Liga campaign this weekend when they welcome Athletic Club to the Santiago Bernabeu....
Real Madrid will conclude their largely disappointing 2025. 26 La Liga campaign this weekend when they welcome Athletic Club to the Santiago Bernabeu. Manager Alvaro Arbeloa is desperate to give a good account of themselves on home turf, but the powers that be at the club have decided to take no chances with their key personnel ahead of the forthcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. In the scheme of things, the fixture is now a dead rubber, and so the coaching staff are prioritising the fitness of their stalwarts for the global showpiece. Long term absentees Eder Militao and Rodrygo Goes have already been ruled out, and GoalZaza can exclusively confirm that another major star will not be risked from the start. The identity of the player has not been officially disclosed, but the feeling in the camp is that the lion. �s share of the first eleven will be heavily rotated. At the end of the day, no one at the club wants to see a top talent hobble off the pitch just weeks before the biggest tournament in world football. For the Nigerian faithful, this news carries extra weight. Super Eagles talisman Victor Osimhen, who has been linked with a move to the Spanish capital, will be watching keenly from Lagos. Meanwhile, Ademola Lookman, the Nigerian international whose dribbling and clinical finishing have lit up Serie A, knows that any slip up in Madrid could affect the national team. �s planning. The viewing centres in Surulere and around Abuja will be buzzing with debate: some fans will argue that Madrid. �s caution is wise, while others will insist that a proper footballer should want to play every minute. Still, the overriding mood is one of cautious optimism for the Super Eagles. � chances in the World Cup. When the whistle blows on Sunday, expect the air in the centres to be thick with tension, prayers, and the occasional shout of. �Naija for life!. � as supporters watch their heroes prepare for the main event.