Mourinho’s fitness overhaul fuels Real Madrid’s eight‑win surge
Real Madrid, under Jose Mourinho, have turned a corner both on the pitch and behind the scenes, stringing together eight straight wins before the November international break while slashing muscle‑injury absences to just one player, significantly since the season began.
Collective discipline drives winning run
Real Madrid have undergone a clear transformation on the pitch, with performances improving in recent weeks. Los Blancos secured eight consecutive victories across all competitions before the November international break. The team have rediscovered collective discipline and willingness to play for one another and commit to the cause.
Injury record improves dramatically
According to Diario AS, Real Madrid have seen a dramatic reduction in muscle injuries this season, and the club’s injury problems have reduced considerably. Captain Federico Valverde is the only player to have missed a match through a new muscle injury since the start of the season. At the same stage of the 2025/26 season, Los Blancos had accumulated 39 absences last season, a figure that rises to 62 when including players carrying injuries from the previous season or pre‑season.
Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander‑Arnold, Dani Carvajal, Aurelien Tchouameni, Dani Ceballos and Franco Mastantuono headlined the list. This season, Rodrygo, Thiago Pitarch, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy and Raul Asencio have also faced fitness problems, but their injuries began before the start of the campaign.
Mourinho’s emphasis on physical preparation, careful management of playing time and monitoring of individual training workloads have been important factors behind the improvement. Having a healthier squad has allowed Los Blancos to enjoy greater continuity and Mourinho to instil his principles more effectively. This has also allowed the players in the starting XI to build better relationships and develop a greater understanding of one another.
Another major reason for this is the Portuguese manager’s excellent management of playing time, helping keep everyone fresh. The only player Mourinho has not rotated much is Kylian Mbappe, with the Frenchman playing the full 90 minutes in almost every game.
Whatever Mourinho seems to be doing at Madrid seems to be working, and it remains to be seen how Madrid’s injury record holds up over the course of the season.