Real Madrid News
Real Madrid duo expected to be back by the end of 2026 after return to training
After a difficult start to the season, Real Madrid have had a few encouraging signs, as far as the fitness of their players are concerned.
Kylian Mbappe’s knock against Turkiye did not appear to be serious while Eder Militao is in the final stage of his recovery.
It appears to be only a matter of time before Real Madrid get the band back together, especially with two more players now returning to training.
Mendy and Rodrygo return to training
As reported by Diario AS, both Rodrygo and Ferland Mendy are now training with the ball on the pitch at Valdebebas, as they close in on their respective returns.
Rodrygo, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament and medial meniscus in his right knee seven months ago, returned to jogging in September and has since progressed to individual ball work.
The Brazilian, who has been following a special body-recomposition plan as part of his rehabilitation, is nearing a return tentatively scheduled for December.
Mendy, meanwhile, is also back working with the ball on the training pitch. The Frenchman underwent hamstring surgery in May and was left out of Real Madrid’s Champions League squad.
While the club prefer not to set a firm timeframe given his injury history, he too is expected to return by the end of 2026.
The infirmary starts to empty
The positive updates on Rodrygo and Mendy are part of a wider improvement on the treatment table at Valdebebas.
Militao has completed his second consecutive session with the rest of the group, a significant milestone as he edges towards a full return.
His progress offers Mourinho a timely boost given Real Madrid’s defensive concerns, with Dean Huijsen suspended for the Villarreal clash.
Elsewhere, the recently injured trio of Ibrahima Konate, Federico Valverde and Mbappe trained indoors and are hoping to rejoin group training at some point next week.
Real Madrid have been hampered by injuries during a stuttering start to the season, and having a fuller squad to choose from could prove crucial as they look to close the gap on Barcelona.
Jose Mourinho is looking for solutions to Real Madrid’s problems, and the extended international break has given him time to analyse the team in depth.
Now, according to Defensa Central, one of the conclusions from his assessment concerns Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva and Arda Guler, the players Mourinho believes should be central to the team’s football.
Although they operate in different positions, the manager wants all four to take a step forward on the pitch.
He wants them to push their lines higher and move closer to the opposition penalty area, believing this would help Real Madrid both defensively and offensively.
Mourinho wants to pin opponents inside their own box
Mourinho wants Real Madrid’s play to go through Bellingham, Valverde, Bernardo and Guler, but he has also asked them to start creating attacks much closer to the opposition area and to link up more closely with the forwards.
The idea is to make the team more compact in possession and force opponents deeper into their own half.
If Real Madrid’s midfield can build play much higher up the pitch, opponents will have to retreat. That would allow Mourinho’s side to improve their pressing, make it more effective and increase the volume of attacks.
As a result, Real Madrid should create considerably more opportunities to score.
A compact Real Madrid for 90 minutes
Mourinho wants his team to stay together and remain compact throughout the full 90 minutes, rather than doing so only in short periods.
Defensively, this would reduce the spaces available for opponents to build their attacks and could force them to play more directly, looking to exploit the space behind the defensive line.
That is an area where the pace and defensive ability of Marc Cucurella and Denzel Dumfries, alongside Aurelien Tchouameni, can provide protection.
The same compactness could also benefit Real Madrid in attack by keeping opponents pinned back. Mourinho wants to use the quality of his players to create a greater number of dangerous situations.
Mourinho’s idea is that Real Madrid’s most talented players must push the team forward and help them put opponents under pressure much closer to the box.
