MU Shorts
Camavinga, Asensio start in a 4-3-3: How Real Madrid could line up against Rayo Vallecano
Real Madrid will be aiming to bounce back to winning ways after consecutive defeats against Manchester City and Valencia, when they take on Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabeu later tonight.
Having lost the La Liga title to arch-rivals Barcelona, the Merengues are also facing the risk of missing out on the runners-up spot as they are currently third in the table behind neighbours Atletico Madrid.
So, it is imperative that Carlo Ancelotti & co. pull up their socks in the remaining three league games and make sure there are no slip-ups while hoping that the Rojiblancos drop points.
Building up to the game, the headlines have been dominated by the racist attacks against Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr that took place during the Valencia clash at the Mestalla last weekend.
Los Che have been hit with a partial stadium closure and fine while Vinicius, who had received a red card in the game, has seen it get rescinded due to VAR bias. In spite of that, the 22-year-old is a doubt for the game tonight as he is dealing with a minor knee issue.
Ancelotti has a nearly full squad at his disposal, with Mariano Diaz the only other player unavailable for selection and here we take a look at how the Real Madrid manager could set his team up against Rayo Vallecano.
Starters
No changes are expected in goal, with Thibaut Courtois expected to continue between the sticks once again as he looks for a clean sheet after conceding five goals in the last two matches.
Dani Carvajal should return at right-back ahead of Lucas Vazquez who got a rare start against Valencia over the weekend while Ferland Mendy is likely to continue on the left side of the defence yet again.
At the heart of the defence, Eder Militao should hold on to his spot but there will be a change of partners for the Brazilian, with David Alaba coming in to replace Antonio Rudiger in the starting XI.
Moving into the middle of the park, wholesale changes are expected from Real Madrid. Eduardo Camavinga should start as the No. 6 on the night against Rayo Vallecano, replacing his compatriot Aurelien Tchouameni.
Meanwhile, the veteran duo of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric should return to the starting lineup after making appearances from the bench during the weekend clash against Valencia.
Even though Vinicius Jr is no longer suspended, the knee issue could keep him out of the match tonight. In his place, Marco Asensio should start for the Merengues, with the Spaniard slotting in on the right flank.
It should see Rodrygo Goes move out to the left flank against Rayo Vallecano, while Karim Benzema occupies the No. 9 role as always.
Real Madrid Predicted XI: Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy, Modric, Camavinga, Kroos, Asensio, Benzema, Rodrygo.
Substitutes
Dani Ceballos is a player who is certain to come on at some stage in the second half to relieve one of Luka Modric or Toni Kroos. Given that Ferland Mendy has only returned from injury, he might be given a breather late on as well, with Nacho taking over from him.
Young Alvaro Rodriguez has been named in the matchday squad for the game and could get a few minutes. There may be some action on the field in store of Eden Hazard as well, especially if Vinicius Jr is not fit enough to play any part.
MU Shorts
Real Madrid injury curse examined: Several seasons of setbacks and a possible turning point
Real Madrid have endured a frustrating cycle of injuries over recent seasons, with repeated setbacks disrupting team selection, forcing tactical changes and leaving key players unavailable for important matches.
However, Jose Mourinho appears to have made an encouraging start in one area that has troubled the club for years, with the squad enjoying a notably healthier opening to the current campaign.
As La Liga resumes following an unusually long international break, Real Madrid have the majority of their players available.
For now, Eder Militao, Rodrygo and Ferland Mendy remain sidelined with injuries carried over from the previous season, while Raul Asencio recently underwent surgery for a problem he had been dealing with since January.
The remaining 22 players are available.
Although Thiago Pitarch and Aurelien Tchouameni missed early matches because of minor injuries sustained during pre-season, and Federico Valverde suffered an injury against Atletico Madrid, none of those situations has resulted in a missed match due to an injury sustained since the official start of the current season.
This is a notable contrast with Real Madrid’s recent history.
Looking at the opening fixtures of previous campaigns, using the league match before the October international break as a reference point, reveals the scale of the problem Mourinho is hoping to avoid.
2025/26 season: Injuries disrupt early progress
Real Madrid began the 2025/26 campaign without Ferland Mendy, Endrick and Jude Bellingham.
The English midfielder underwent shoulder surgery after the Club World Cup, addressing discomfort that had persisted since he dislocated his shoulder almost two years earlier.
Eduardo Camavinga then suffered a sprain that kept him out for a month, while Antonio Rudiger, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal also experienced muscle injuries.
Across the first ten official matches, excluding the three players already unavailable at the start, Real Madrid recorded a whopping 18 absences.
The problems continued after the international break, as Dean Huijsen and Dani Ceballos suffered minor muscular issues that forced them to miss two matches apiece.
In the final game before the break, against Villarreal, Xabi Alonso was unable to call upon Carvajal, Trent and Rudiger because of injuries sustained during the season.
Mendy was also unavailable with a problem carried over from the previous campaign.
2024/25 season: Real Madrid record several absentees
According to AS, the 2024/25 campaign began when Camavinga suffered an injury during the final training session before the UEFA Super Cup, ruling him out of the match.
Bellingham, Jesus Vallejo, Ceballos, Tchouameni, Brahim Diaz, Carvajal, Kylian Mbappe and Thibaut Courtois subsequently spent time on the sidelines.
Mendy, Militao and Rodrygo also experienced physical problems, although they did not miss any matches during that initial period.
The final fixture before the October international break brought another major blow.
Carlo Ancelotti had to manage without Courtois, David Alaba and Brahim, while Carvajal suffered a serious right-knee injury following an unfortunate challenge, which ruled him out for an extended period.
The incident became one of the most damaging injuries of Madrid’s campaign, further weakening the defensive options available to Ancelotti.
2023/24 season: Courtois and Militao suffer serious injuries
Real Madrid’s injury problems were particularly severe during the opening weeks of the 2023/24 season.
Dani Ceballos picked up a pre-season injury, while the then-new signing Arda Guler and Mendy returned early from the club’s tour of the United States. Both were subsequently sidelined for almost two months.
The situation deteriorated just before the league campaign began, as Courtois tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee two days before Real Madrid’s opening match, and Militao suffered the same injury shortly afterwards.
Vinicius Jr. then missed four matches with a right hamstring injury, while Carvajal was unavailable for two games because of discomfort in his right leg.
Guler suffered repeated setbacks, and Alaba also experienced a problem with his right abductor muscle.
Courtois, Militao, Alaba and Guler were all unavailable for the final match before the international break. Alaba returned afterwards, but Ceballos joined the injury list.
2022/23 season: Muscle problems and minor injuries add up
The 2022/23 campaign was less disruptive, but Real Madrid still recorded 21 injuries across their first nine official fixtures.
Carvajal’s pre-season preparation was interrupted by a minor ankle sprain, while Alvaro Odriozola missed the UEFA Super Cup because of calf discomfort.
Rodrygo also sat out the first two La Liga matches after suffering a strain in his right thigh.
Several other players experienced smaller setbacks. Carvajal, Militao, Vallejo, Nacho Fernandez, Toni Kroos, Lucas Vazquez and Karim Benzema all dealt with minor injuries or physical discomfort during the opening weeks.
The World Cup in Qatar also created an unusual break in the calendar.
When Madrid returned to action after the international interval, Courtois, Luka Modric and Lucas Vazquez were unavailable through injury for the match against Osasuna.
2021/22 season: Real Madrid suffer 60 injuries
The 2021/22 campaign provides the starkest example of Madrid’s previous injury difficulties.
Coronavirus affected the pre-season preparations of Benzema, Alaba and Odriozola, although none of them missed a match as a result.
More serious problems followed, as Kroos suffered a groin strain that kept him out for two months, while Ceballos sustained ligament damage that sidelined him for more than four months.
During the first month and a half, Andriy Lunin, Alaba, Modric and Luka Jovic also experienced spells on the sidelines.
By the final match before the October break, Ancelotti was without Marcelo, Mendy, Ceballos, Isco, Marco Asensio, Gareth Bale and Mariano Diaz.
Madrid accumulated 60 different injuries across their first ten fixtures, making it the most damaging opening period among the seasons compared here.
Judging by these figures, Mourinho’s current record offers a reason for optimism, but sustaining that improvement will be the real challenge.
With domestic and European commitments set to intensify, Real Madrid must continue managing workloads carefully if they want to avoid the recurring injury problems that have undermined previous campaigns.
