Militão cleared to train and targets debut in October
Eder Militão has received official clearance to train with Real Madrid's first team, five months after his surgery on the proximal tendon of the left hamstring. The club indicates that the Brazilian is ready to play matches from October, eliminating the need to keep looking for defensive patches.
Surgical intervention details
On 28 April 2026, Militão was operated on by Dr. Lasse Lempainen, under the supervision of Real Madrid's medical services. The injury was a rupture of the proximal hamstring tendon, the same area that had been injured on 7 December against Celta at the Bernabéu. After a brief return in March, the injury resurfaced in April, according to reports.
Defender's injury history
Before this issue, Militão had suffered two anterior cruciate ligament ruptures: the left knee in August 2023 and the right knee in November 2024 against Osasuna. Those are three surgeries in less than three years, which explains the lack of a public return date to competition.
Impact on Real Madrid's defence
With Militão available, the journalist from Deportivo suggests that the starting axis of the white defence will be Militão alongside Antonio Rüdiger, pushing Dean Huijsen and Ibrahima Konaté out of the starting eleven. The pair have already shared a line at the club and complement each other: Militão provides speed and the ability to cover wide spaces, while Rüdiger offers aggression, anticipation and leadership in ball distribution.
José Mourinho, who has had to repeatedly adjust his centre‑back line due to injuries, will be able to defend higher thanks to the combination of speed and aggression offered by Militão and Rüdiger.
Militão's return does not mean that Huijsen and Konaté are excluded from the plan. The demands of LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League require rotating the defensive axis, especially with a centre‑back returning after five months of inactivity.
The only condition for Militão to keep his place will be his physical fitness. A fully fit Militão will allow Mourinho to trust the defence in decisive matches, and October will be the ultimate test of whether his body can match the anticipated comeback.