Real Madrid Faces Injury Challenges Ahead of Malaga Match

Real Madrid’s perfect start to the La Liga season will be tested by a growing injury list, with seven players missing from Saturday’s training session on the eve of their meeting with Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, Raul Asencio, Aurelien Tchouameni, Thiago Pitarch, Rodrygo and Endrick all sat out the main group workout as Carlo Ancelotti’s squad completed preparations for Sunday’s third-round fixture.

The absences underline the physical toll of the early weeks. The staff are refusing to rush anyone back.

Militao and Endrick at least offered a glimpse of progress. The pair worked on an adjacent pitch, first going through intensive physical drills before stepping up to ball work, a key stage in their respective recovery plans. Both are still some way from full involvement, but their presence on the grass brought a different energy to the session.

Tchouameni’s situation drew particular attention. Spanish radio journalist Arancha Rodriguez, speaking on “Cope”, pointed to the club’s cautious stance: “Mourinho explained it well a few days ago. Tchouameni wants to play now, but the technical staff prefer his full recovery. I would also like to remind that he renewed his contract at the beginning of the summer.”

That renewal underlines how central the French midfielder is to Madrid’s long-term plans. The message from the technical staff is clear: no shortcuts, even with an important league run taking shape.

Despite the absentees, Madrid head into the Malaga clash with momentum. They opened their campaign by edging Espanyol 2-1, then swept aside Real Sociedad 4-1, combining resilience with attacking flair.

Now they return to the Bernabeu, juggling early-season form with the realities of a stretched squad. The wins are coming. The question is how long they can keep this balance while so many key names watch from the sidelines.