Why Yan Diomande Isn’t Starting for Real Madrid vs. Espanyol

The ever-divisive José Mourinho opted to leave record-breaking signing Yan Diomande out of his starting lineup for Real Madrid’s 2026–27 La Liga opener against Espanyol on Saturday.

Los Blancos come into Saturday’s fixture desperate to make a statement after two seasons without winning a major trophy. The 15-time European champions welcomed six new faces to the Bernabéu this summer to help their cause: Diomande, Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konaté, Denzel Dumfries, Bernardo Silva and Carlos Espí.

Of the summer arrivals, Diomande commanded the largest fee; the 19-year-old joined Real Madrid in a deal worth up to €140 million ($161.6 million) following a breakout season with RB Leipzig. Should he hit all his bonuses, the winger will take Jude Bellingham’s crown as the most expensive player in club history.

Yet Mourinho overlooked Diomande on Saturday, giving the nod to Arda Güler instead on the right wing—a position that was expected to belong to the Côte d’Ivoire international.

Real Madrid Confirmed Lineup vs. Espanyol

Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Dumfries, Konaté, Huijsen, Carreras; Silva, Valverde; Güler, Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior; Mbappé.

Substitutes: Andriy Lunin (GK), Sergio Mestre (GK), Eduardo Camavinga, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Marc Cucurella, Carlos Espí, Brahim Díaz, Antonio Rüdiger, Yan Diomande, Jorge Cestero, Mario Rivas, Alexis Ciria.

Why Diomande Is Not Starting in Real Madrid’s League Opener

Yan Diomande (right) did not snag a place in José Mourinho’s XI. | Ralf Ibing/firo sportphoto/Getty Images

Mourinho gave little away in his prematch press conference on Friday, refusing to provide any hints about his XI against Espanyol. The reason for overlooking Diomande remains unknown, though several factors likely played into the manager’s decision.

Diomande only made one appearance this preseason since inking his seven-year deal with Real Madrid. The teenager played 29 minutes in the team’s 3–0 victory over Schalke, his first action since Côte d’Ivoire crashed out of the World Cup in the round of 32.

A lack of match fitness combined with his age and inexperience likely prompted Mourinho to keep Diomande on the bench for what promises to be a hostile opening La Liga bout for Los Blancos. Proceeding with caution and easing the blockbuster signing into the swing of things is not the popular choice, but it might prove the smarter option in the long run.

Mourinho also made it a point to encourage competition and emphasize how much he will be rotating his XI this season. “I don’t want to have an ideal lineup. I want to keep the door open to competition because there are so many matches. We’ll have a period where we play every three days.

“Also, if we talk about top-level players like Trent or Dumfries, or like Cucurella and Carreras, it’s not possible to think one will play 60 matches and the other none. Or one 10 and the other 50. That’s not possible. We have a lot of quality.”

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