The injury nightmare that haunts Real Madrid

At the Bernabéu, under the dim evening light, physiotherapists examine the players while the echo of chants blends with the whistle of inhalers. Injuries have become the endless story of Real Madrid in recent seasons, and the image of Kylian Mbappé Getty Images Madrid seems to remind us of the magnitude of the problem.

Injury history at the Bernabéu

Last season the club recorded sixty absences, and only Vinicius, Gonzalo, Brahim and Fran García escaped the bad streak. That plague of injured players turned into a state issue at the white club, considered one of the main reasons for finishing the last season in white. An endless nightmare story for whoever sits on the Bernabéu bench.

Mourinho arrived at Real Madrid with the mission of ending that injury plague. With him, Sandro Carriço, coming from Benfica, took charge of ‘Sports Sciences’, a discipline focused on preventing and treating the accumulated physical impact on athletes.

Rodrygo’s training return lifts Real Madrid hopes for Mourinho

Despite the efforts, Real Madrid now adds the same number of injuries as before: nine. Currently the white club has six players in the infirmary: Rodrygo, Militao, Mendy, Mbappé, Valverde and Konaté. Ibrahima Konaté left the France camp after suffering a mild sprain in his right knee.

Current status and doubts for Villarreal

Of the six injured, Rodrygo and Mendy are the ones who will take the longest to return, while the progress of Mbappé, Valverde and Konaté will determine their availability for the match against Villarreal on October 10. Real Madrid trains without the internationals, but Militao remains alongside the squad.

Enrique Riquelme breaks his silence: “Time will tell if I present myself again or not.” Mourinho remains constrained by injuries, as Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa were, keeping an endless story alive that, for now, finds no end.