Real Madrid News
Real Madrid midfield mainstay ruled out of 2026/27 La Liga opener vs Espanyol
Real Madrid’s final training session before the start of their 2026/27 La Liga campaign brought confirmation of an important absence.
Aurelien Tchouameni will not feature when Jose Mourinho’s side travel to Barcelona to face Espanyol.
The French midfielder has returned to training with his teammates, but Real Madrid have decided against rushing him back into competitive action.
According to AS, Tchouameni is among several players unavailable for Mourinho’s first La Liga match in charge.
The decision comes despite earlier optimism that the midfielder could recover in time for the season opener.
Instead, Real Madrid are taking a cautious approach as they prepare for a demanding run of three league matches in just eight days.
Tchouameni trains but Mourinho refuses to rush
Tchouameni’s absence is particularly notable because he has trained at the same pace as the rest of the Real Madrid squad this week.
However, Mourinho had already made his position clear during his pre-match press conference.
The Real Madrid manager confirmed that while the Frenchman is no longer dealing with a major problem, his current physical condition does not allow him to be considered for the Espanyol game.
“The only player who is out for this match who wasn’t here last season is Endrick.
“Tchouameni is fine, but he needs to train this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to accelerate his recovery. He arrived in a condition that won’t allow him to be fully fit for this match.”
Tchouameni’s preparation has been different from that of several of his teammates.
After returning from the World Cup, the French midfielder initially followed an individual training programme instead of joining Real Madrid’s full pre-season work immediately.
As a result, he did not play a single minute during the club’s summer preparations.
That lack of match action appears to be the main reason Mourinho is unwilling to throw him straight into the intensity of a competitive La Liga fixture.
The situation is therefore not necessarily a major setback or a fresh injury concern.
Rather, it is a matter of ensuring that Tchouameni reaches the required physical level before returning to Mourinho’s matchday plans.
Real Madrid face Espanyol with several players unavailable
Tchouameni is not the only player missing from the Real Madrid squad, as Mourinho will also be without Eder Militao, Rodrygo and Ferland Mendy, who have remained unavailable since last season.
Meanwhile, Thiago Pitarch, Endrick and Raul Asensio are also continuing their respective recoveries and will not be involved against Espanyol.
The number of absences means Mourinho will begin his Real Madrid tenure without several established first-team options.
However, Tchouameni’s situation stands apart because he has already resumed full training and could be edging closer to a return.
Real Madrid are facing a packed opening schedule, with three La Liga matches scheduled within eight days.
Two of those games will take place at the Santiago Bernabeu, but the quick turnaround means Mourinho will need to manage his squad carefully.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid record signing labelled once in a generation star: ‘One in every ten years’
Real Madrid had an exceptional summer transfer window, with the club bringing in as many as seven players for Jose Mourinho.
No signing was bigger than Yan Diomande, though, with the Ivorian becoming Los Blancos’ most expensive acquisition of all time.
The 19-year-old arrives at Madrid carrying enormous expectations, and the people who have worked closely with the young winger believe he can live up to them.
As quoted by MARCA, Thiago Freitas, operations director at Roc Nation, used an extraordinary comparison when discussing Diomande.
Diomande compared to Halley’s Comet
Roc Nation identified Diomande while he was still at Leipzig, and Freitas explained just how quickly the agency became convinced by his potential.
“We are always looking at the stars, but while looking at the stars, sometimes a comet appears,” Freitas said.
“I can say that Yan, among the stars, is like a comet, a Halley that you find every eight or ten years. And when the possibility of working with him came to us, we did not think twice.”
The agency subsequently built a personalised structure around Diomande to help his development, although convincing Leipzig to part with such a valuable young player was never expected to be straightforward.
“A player of this level, every club wants to keep. We knew it would be a great challenge, a difficult task to make this transfer happen,” he explained.
Real Madrid changed the transfer race
Freitas also revealed that several major clubs wanted Diomande before Madrid eventually secured his signature.
“Many of the most important, richest and most qualified clubs in the world showed interest in Yan,” he said.
However, once Madrid entered the race, Roc Nation felt the dynamic changed completely.
“But I always say that for players, Real Madrid is the Pele of clubs,” Freitas explained.
“When Real Madrid’s interest appears, there is nothing more the other clubs can do.”
Freitas believes Diomande’s unpredictability makes him particularly suited to Madrid, where opponents regularly defend with the primary objective of containing their attacking talent.
“Yan is a player who can bring a lot of surprise to Madrid,” he said, highlighting his ability to break tactical structures and create unexpected situations.
Diomande is still a young player who needs time under Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese tactician is easing him into action.
The teenager may not be starting for Madrid yet, but it will not be long before he gets the nod. Jose is said to be keen to avoid another Mastantuono situation with him.
One thing is clear, though: everyone who has worked with Madrid in some capacity thinks the sky is the limit for him, and it remains to be seen whether he hits those heights at the Bernabeu.
