Real Madrid Reach Mid-October Without a New Injury as Mourinho’s Fitness Plan Shows Early Promise
Real Madrid have reached mid-October with an unusual reason for optimism: not one player has missed a match because of an injury sustained during the current season. For a club accustomed to managing a crowded treatment room, the clean start marks a striking change—and gives José Mourinho a rare opportunity to work with a largely available squad.
The Portuguese coach highlighted the milestone before Real Madrid’s meeting with Villarreal, steering attention away from off-field headlines and toward the team’s physical condition. “I touch wood, because football is still football,” Mourinho said, before noting that the club had not reached this point in a decade without a fresh injury.
His claim excludes players whose problems began last season or earlier. Ferland Mendy, Éder Militão and Rodrygo remain sidelined, while academy player Raúl Asencio has undergone surgery for a stress fracture in his right shin that had troubled him for months. Those four absences are not evidence of a new injury-free run being broken: none has been caused by a problem picked up during the current campaign.
A broader approach to injury prevention
Mourinho has described player availability as a club-wide project rather than the responsibility of medical staff alone. The plan, he explained before the international break, brings together players, coaches, sports scientists, strength and conditioning specialists, prevention experts and doctors.
That cooperation includes individual training and close attention to early warning signs—small changes that may indicate fatigue or a developing physical problem. The work is often invisible to supporters, but it can influence decisions about training intensity, recovery and whether a player is ready to compete. In a season shaped by demanding club and international schedules, those details can be as important as treatment after an injury occurs.
Set aside the four players still recovering from earlier injuries, and Mourinho has 22 fit players available as competition resumes. The figure offers welcome flexibility, though it does not guarantee that the squad will remain healthy. Football’s physical demands, travel and fixture congestion can change the picture quickly.
How this season compares with recent Real Madrid injury records
Comparisons across seasons require some care. The calendar has shifted, and the extended international break means the number of matches played before October is not always the same. A useful benchmark is the last La Liga game before the October break, considered alongside the opening Champions League fixtures. By that point in many recent seasons, injuries had already forced Real Madrid to make significant changes to their line-up.
2026–27: no injuries picked up in the campaign
Rodrygo, Mendy and Militão have yet to feature, but all are carrying injuries from the previous season. Asencio’s shin fracture also required surgery after a prolonged period of discomfort. Tiago and Endrick missed early fixtures with minor pre-season issues, while Aurélien Tchouaméni did not appear until the fifth match after dealing with lingering physical problems.
The distinction is important: players have missed games, but Mourinho’s point is that no one has been ruled out by a fresh injury sustained since the season began. Militão is expected to return after the November international break, when Madrid are scheduled to play three consecutive home matches against Celta Vigo, PSV Eindhoven and Alavés.
2025–26: injuries carried over and new setbacks
The previous campaign began with Mendy, Endrick and Jude Bellingham unavailable. Mendy’s thigh injury kept him out for six months, while Endrick spent four months recovering from a hamstring problem. Bellingham underwent shoulder surgery after the Club World Cup to address pain associated with a dislocation suffered roughly two years earlier.
Further problems followed. Eduardo Camavinga missed about a month with a sprain, and Antonio Rüdiger, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal experienced muscular injuries. Excluding the three players who started the season injured, absences amounted to 18 matches across the first ten games. Dean Huijsen and Dani Ceballos later missed two matches apiece with minor muscle issues.
2024–25: a difficult opening stretch
Camavinga suffered a knee ligament sprain on the eve of the European Super Cup, setting an early warning for a season in which a long list of players visited the medical department. Bellingham, Jesús Vallejo, Ceballos, Tchouaméni, Brahim Díaz, Carvajal, Kylian Mbappé and Thibaut Courtois all dealt with physical problems.
Together, those players missed 32 matches across the opening ten official fixtures. Carlo Ancelotti also had to do without Courtois, David Alaba and Brahim before the October break. Carvajal then suffered a serious right-knee injury during the Villarreal match.
Earlier seasons brought even heavier disruption
Real Madrid’s recent injury history shows how quickly a promising start can turn into a selection challenge. In 2023–24, Courtois and Militão both suffered anterior cruciate ligament injuries around the opening of the campaign, while further setbacks affected Vinícius Júnior, Arda Güler and Alaba. Injuries cost the squad 52 matches across the first 11 fixtures.
The 2021–22 season was more punishing still, with 60 missed matches across ten games. Toni Kroos was sidelined for two months, Dani Ceballos spent more than four months out, and several other players were unavailable around the October break. By comparison, the opening stages of 2018–19 were relatively calm, with absences totalling 12 matches across the first 11 fixtures. Other campaigns recorded 16, 21, 23, 32 and 45 missed matches over their respective early-season samples.
What the injury-free start could mean for Madrid
Availability matters beyond the medical statistics. A coach with more players to choose from can rotate more effectively, maintain competition for places and reduce the risk of repeatedly overloading the same starters. It can also help a team build tactical consistency, particularly when domestic and European fixtures arrive close together.
Still, one healthy stretch is not proof that injuries have been solved. The season remains long, and international travel, intense training and high-stakes matches all bring risks. Mourinho’s careful “touch wood” remark reflects that uncertainty. The early record is encouraging, but maintaining it will depend on continued monitoring and sensible workload management.
For supporters following Real Madrid’s football campaign, the immediate outlook is positive: the squad has avoided a new injury absence so far, and 22 players are available beyond those still recovering from earlier problems. Whether the trend continues will be one of the season’s key storylines—and an important factor in any prediction about Madrid’s ability to compete across multiple competitions.
