Mourinho with injured Mbappé and only seven available at Real Madrid
José Mourinho, Real Madrid manager, faces the absence of Kylian Mbappé after his knee injury and has only seven first‑team players available during the international break, which will be extended until October 6, following the club's defeat to Atlético Madrid in the latest derby.
Mourinho was on Real Madrid’s bench before the recent Madrid derby, where the white side fell to Atlético de Madrid. According to Europa Press coverage, the result was influenced by two incidents that could have completely altered the course of the match.
“To enjoy victories you also have to get through these tough moments,” said those close to Mourinho as the coach takes on one of the most complex international breaks to manage.
The difficulty shows up in three aspects: the derby hangover, the demanding schedule that awaits the return, and, above all, the shortage of personnel during the international window, which will run until October 6. The white side is split between players staying at Valdebebas and those joining their national teams.
Available for Mourinho
Mourinho currently has seven first‑team players who are not injured. Two of them are goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, who has decided not to play in the Nations League with Belgium, and Andriy Lunin, who is absent from Ukraine’s squad. Added to them are defender Rüdiger, who left the German national team after the World Cup, and the players Asencio and Carreras.
Midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni will face a sort of individual pre‑season, as Mourinho himself explained. Meanwhile, Thiago Pitarch will combine his work with the first team and Castilla to regain lost sensations after a limited summer preparation.
Injuries that persist
The four injured players will remain in Madrid. Éder Militao has already started training on the pitch, giving him the most favourable setting to return once the break ends. Eduardo Valverde has begun recovering from a grade‑3 sprain to his left ankle sustained in the derby after Kang‑in Lee’s challenge.
Konaté has also been added to the injured list, having just returned from the France camp after a minor knee sprain, but the biggest concern lies with Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman injured his knee while scoring the winning goal and is suffering a tendon injury; he will return to Madrid today for treatment, in the same area that gave him trouble last season. French full‑back Ferland Mendy, who underwent surgery on May 11 for a right‑leg rectus femoris injury, may not be back before the end of the year or even after Christmas, with no official date set. As for Rodrygo, he suffered in March a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and the outer meniscus of his right knee; he is already running on the pitch and aims to return in January.
Despite the situation, the defeat has not altered Mourinho’s plans for the break. The coach had planned to grant several days of rest during the first week to the uncapped players, combining it with individualized work and occasional visits to Valdebebas to monitor their physical progress before gradually raising the intensity of training.
In this fragmented scenario, Mourinho has voiced his concern about the trips of Vinicius and Endrick, who with Brazil will embark on a tour of Australia and India with three friendlies. “We will try to support them as much as possible,” he explained, although he acknowledged that “not all coaches will grant access” to the preparation data of their internationals.