Dani Ceballos trains with Betis for the first time: reunions, friendships and a possible debut against Real Madrid

Dani Ceballos has already put on the Betis shirt and got to work. On Wednesday morning, the Utrera-born midfielder trained with the rest of the first-team squad for the first time, only a few hours after the club confirmed his arrival on a three-year contract. The move ends an eight-year spell away from Heliópolis and brings back to LaLiga a player with experience at Real Madrid and Arsenal.

• Ceballos landed early at Seville's San Pablo airport and went straight to train with Betis.
• He was reunited with Isco, Bellerín, Fornals and Marc Roca, with whom he played at club level or for Spain.
• Pablo García crossed paths with him at the airport as the academy player left for Santander to join Racing.
• Betis host Real Madrid on Friday at La Cartuja, but Ceballos is not expected to feature.
• Aitor Ruibal and Diego Conde remain on the sidelines; Ángel Ortiz returned after minor issues.

Dani Ceballos' first Betis training session: early arrival and a reunion at San Pablo

The Andalusian footballer took an early flight that landed at Seville's San Pablo airport. As soon as he stepped onto the tarmac, he crossed paths with Pablo García, a young Betis academy player who was boarding a plane to Santander to join Racing, with whom he has signed for the next four seasons. The meeting was brief but friendly, a snapshot of the talent moving in and out of the club during this transfer window.

Ceballos then made his way to the training ground and took part in the session with the group led by Manuel Pellegrini. It was no ordinary workout: it was the first step of a return that fans had been waiting for while Betis and Real Madrid negotiated. The deal was closed in the early hours of Wednesday, and the player wanted to lose no time getting started.

Reunions with Isco, Bellerín and former Spain under-21 teammates

The Betis dressing room is full of familiar faces for Ceballos. He spent years with Isco Alarcón at Real Madrid and could now rekindle that on-pitch connection at La Cartuja. With Héctor Bellerín he played during his loan spell at Arsenal. The circle of close relationships also includes Pablo Fornals and Marc Roca, with whom he won the 2019 European Under-21 Championship in Italy, alongside Fabián Ruiz, Dani Olmo and Mikel Oyarzabal.

That bond was visible during the session. The greetings were warm, especially with José Antonio Morante, a close friend of the player and of his father, and with Junior Firpo, who belongs to the same generation. Ceballos joins a Betis side with a core of footballers he knows extremely well, a factor that could speed up his adaptation even though he has barely been in the team dynamic for a few hours.

What Betis are playing for on Friday against Real Madrid at La Cartuja

The schedule offers no breathing room. Real Betis host Real Madrid on Friday at La Cartuja, a demanding test for Pellegrini's side. The match comes right after the transfer window closed and with several players carrying knocks. Ceballos does not look ready to take part, as he has not done a pre-season with the group, although he has been training consistently while waiting for his Betis return to be completed.

His presence against his former club would carry huge symbolism, but the coaching staff do not want to take risks with a player who has just landed. The sensible approach is to give him time to build match fitness. Friday's game against Real Madrid will still give Betis fans a close look at their new arrival, even if it is from the bench or the stands.

Betis injury update: Ruibal and Diego Conde sidelined, Ortiz returns

The Betis treatment room remains busy. Aitor Ruibal trained individually away from the group, a situation that also applied to Diego Conde. Both are working to be available for Pellegrini as soon as possible, but their participation on Friday is uncertain.

The positive news came from Ángel Ortiz, who returned to training after missing the previous session with discomfort in his side. Óscar Masqué, the right-back from Betis Deportivo who works under the first-team staff, was also back. Pellegrini, used to calling on academy players when needed, keeps the door open for young talent.

The details of Dani Ceballos' move to Real Betis

Betis announced Ceballos' arrival in the early hours of Wednesday, with the player signing for the next three seasons. The midfielder returns to his boyhood club, which he left in 2017 for Real Madrid in a deal worth around €18 million. At the Bernabéu he mixed regular starts with loan spells, including a move to Arsenal that allowed him to gain minutes in the Premier League and establish himself in the senior Spain squad.

His return to Heliópolis is a major addition for the midfield. Ceballos offers composure, quality on the ball and the ability to dictate play from the centre. At 28, he begins a comeback that Betis fans celebrated through the night, as soon as the club made the deal official.

Frequently asked questions about Ceballos' arrival at Betis