Real Madrid’s injury crisis eases under Mourinho after difficult previous seasons

Real Madrid’s injury crisis eases under Mourinho after difficult previous seasons According to AS , Real Madrid’s record with muscular injuries has improved considerably since Jose Mourinho returned to the club this season. After several campaigns in which injuries repeatedly disrupted the team’s plans, the early signs suggest the Portuguese tactician has made progress on one of the club’s biggest concerns. Only one muscle injury so far Real Madrid were forced to turn to academy players on numerous occasions in recent seasons, despite having a first-team squad of close to 25 players. The number of muscle injuries kept hampering plans, leaving managers short on options, making injury prevention a major priority when Mourinho took charge. Now with the Special One in charge, Real Madrid have seen only one player succumb to a muscle injury since the start of the 2026/27 season – Federico Valverde, who picked up an issue during the Clasico against Barcelona . Muscle injuries no longer a major issue for Real Madrid. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images) Beyond that, the Merengues have avoided another muscle injury-related absence this season, excluding players who were already carrying fitness problems before the campaign began. Indeed, the likes of Rodrygo, Thiago Pitarch, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy and Asencio have all had injury-related absences, but their problems predate the start of the current campaign. Significant improvement on last season’s numbers The contrast with the same stage last season is considerable. At that point, Real Madrid’s first-team players had already missed a combined 39 matches through injury. That figure climbed to 62 when players who had carried injuries over from the previous campaign or suffered problems during the summer were included. Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, Aurelien Tchouameni, Dani Ceballos and Franco Mastantuono all experienced muscular issues during the opening months of last season. Things improving for Real Madrid under Jose. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) This time, the pattern has been completely different. Mourinho’s coaching staff has placed particular emphasis on physical preparation, while keeping a close eye on each player’s training and match workload. The approach appears to be helping the squad maintain a higher level of fitness, ensuring greater availability of players for matches. There is still a long way to go, and a relatively quiet injury record over the opening months does not guarantee that the situation will remain unchanged. However, the reduction in muscular problems represents a notable shift from the difficulties Real Madrid experienced in previous campaigns.