Real Madrid Faces Injury Challenges Ahead of Malaga Clash

Real Madrid’s perfect start to the La Liga season will be tested on Sunday with a stretched squad and a growing injury list.

Saturday’s training session at Valdebebas painted a clear picture. Several first‑team players were missing as Carlo Ancelotti’s side prepared for their third-round clash 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 session. None of them is considered out of the picture, but all remain locked into individual recovery plans as the medical staff try to manage risk in the opening weeks of the campaign.

The scene was split in two. On one pitch, the available senior players worked through tactical drills ahead of Malaga’s visit. On another, Militao and Endrick pushed through a different kind of session: first running and physical conditioning, then stepping up to ball work as they edge closer to a return.

The club has been keen not to rush anyone back, and that stance was underlined in the case of Tchouameni. His absence from the group was addressed by journalist Arancha Rodriguez on Spanish radio station Cope, where she referenced recent comments from Jose Mourinho.

“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,” she said, capturing both the player’s impatience and the club’s long-term view.

Real Madrid head into the weekend in good shape on the table, if not in the treatment room. Two games, two wins: a tight 2-1 victory over Espanyol, followed by a commanding 4-1 dismantling of Real Sociedad. Six points from six have set the tone.

Now comes Malaga at the Bernabeu, and the question is simple: can this depleted squad maintain that early momentum while key names watch from the sidelines?