Real Madrid

Mbappé, Bellingham return as Real Madrid name squad for Man City second leg

Real Madrid boss Álvaro Arbeloa has picked his squad for this week’s Champions League return at the Etihad Stadium, with a number of major names returning to the fold.

JESUS ALVAREZ ORIHUELA

Ilias Bentadda William Allen

Update: Mar 16th, 2026 06:21 EDT

Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham have both returned to the Real Madrid squad, ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League last-16 second leg against Manchester City.

Arbeloa welcomes back key stars

The Champions League’s leading scorer this season - with 13 goals in eight appearances - Mbappé has sat out Madrid’s last five games in all competitions. Dogged by a persistent knee injury, the Frenchman last appeared for Los Blancos on Feb. 21, in a 2-1 LaLiga loss at Osasuna.

Bellingham, meanwhile, has missed nine Madrid matches with a hamstring problem. The Englishman last played for the 15-time European champions in a Feb. 1 league win over Rayo Vallecano.

Fullback Álvaro Carreras is also back in Madrid’s matchday group, after overcoming a calf injury suffered in a LaLiga defeat to Getafe on Mar. 2. Carreras is joined by fellow defender David Alaba, who had likewise been sidelined by a calf issue sustained against Los Azulones.

Mbappé, Bellingham return as Real Madrid name squad for Man City second leg — Bellingham hasn't played for Real Madrid since Feb. 1Denis Doyle

Another youthful squad

A coach who has shown a willingness to blood youngsters - in part because of Madrid’s lengthy injury list - Álvaro Arbeloa has again picked plenty of academy talent in his squad. This includes 18-year-old midfielder Thiago Pitarch, who has started Madrid’s last four games - among them Wednesday’s 3-0 first-leg win over City.

Real Madrid squad to face Manchester City:

Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin, Fran González
Defenders: Carvajal, Alaba, Trent, Carreras, Fran García, Rüdiger, Huijsen, Diego Aguado, Mario Rivas
Midfielders: Bellingham, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni, Güler, Cestero, Manuel Ángel, Palacios, Thiago
Forwards: Vinícius, Mbappé, Gonzalo, Brahim, Mastantuono

📋✅ Our squad for the match!
🆚 @ManCity pic.twitter.com/piuAcfkFOm
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) March 16, 2026

Who’s unavailable?

Raúl Asencio (muscle strain)
Dani Ceballos (calf)
Éder Militão (hamstring)
Ferland Mendy (hamstring)
Rodrygo Goes (knee)

Manchester City vs Real Madrid: kickoff time and how to watch

City and Madrid face off on Tuesday, Mar. 17, with kickoff at the Etihad Stadium scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT. Viewers in the U.S. can watch the game on Paramount+ and DAZN.

The winners of the last-16 tie appear almost certain to face Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals. The Germans hold a 6-1 first-leg lead over Atalanta, ahead of Tuesday’s return at Munich’s Allianz Arena.