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Real Madrid has once again been severely plagued by injury problems this season. The recent injuries to Eder Militao and Kylian Mbappe have further intensified the unease within the club. Real Madrid's senior management has expressed helplessness regarding the team's persistent physical issues, with someone inside Valdebebas sighing: “It's simply impossible to play like this.”
Even before changing head coaches this season, Real Madrid first made adjustments to its medical department. Nico Mihic arrived as the team's new medical director on January 4, while Xabi Alonso left his post on January 12. The club hoped that medical adjustments would turn around a season that had been dragged into trouble by injuries.
The latest heavy blow came from Eder Militao. He suffered an injury to his left biceps femoris during the match against Deportivo Alavés and will undergo surgery this week, thus missing the World Cup and expected to be sidelined for nearly five months, which will also affect the early part of his next season. Another injured player is Kylian Mbappe, although his injury is relatively minor—a strain to his left semitendinosus muscle. He has not been ruled out of the upcoming El Clásico, but this is still another setback in a season repeatedly disrupted by physical problems.
Regarding Militao, Real Madrid's real concerns go beyond his recovery period; they extend to whether he can return to his previous level and how much his long-term athletic performance will be affected. The Brazilian center-back is about to undergo his third surgery in four years. Over the past few seasons, he has only played 52 out of Real Madrid's 179 matches, an attendance rate of just 29%. This statistic has sounded the alarm within the club, and Real Madrid has serious doubts about his future availability and whether his physical condition can meet the team's requirements.
Militao's current situation has also been compared to that of Ferland Mendy. The club has no doubts about the abilities of both players but has significant concerns about their attendance rates. The French left-back has also been like a flipped coin in recent years, with no one able to predict whether he can maintain consistent appearances. This season, Mendy has already missed 87 days due to three injuries and has only played 8 matches.
Militao's injury has created another gap in Real Madrid's defense, which was already severely weakened by injuries. A striking statistic is that the defensive line that helped Real Madrid win the 2022 Champions League final in Paris—Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba, and Ferland Mendy—are all still at the club, but they have only played together 10 times since then. Since May 28, 2022, all these players have suffered serious injuries, completely disrupting Real Madrid's original first-choice defense.
Dani Carvajal and David Alaba have also endured further injury troubles, leading to speculation that they may leave the club this summer. The five players in Real Madrid's squad who have missed the most matches and spent the most days sidelined this season are all defenders: Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Antonio Rüdiger. To address the defensive crisis, Real Madrid has used as many as 32 different defensive combinations throughout the season.
Including Militao and Mbappe, Real Madrid has suffered 55 injuries this season. Adding to last season's 63 injuries, Real Madrid has encountered 118 injuries in the past two seasons combined. For comparison, Atlético Madrid and Barcelona recorded 65 and 82 injuries respectively during the same period, totaling 147. Such frequent physical problems are leaving Real Madrid competing in a state of obvious resource shortage.
The worst month for Real Madrid's injuries this season was November, with 11 injuries recorded. From October to February, a five-month period, Real Madrid suffered 39 injuries in total: 7 in October, 11 in November, 7 in December, 7 in January, and 7 in February. To date, only Vinícius Júnior, Fran García, Gonçalo Guedes, and Brahim Díaz have remained injury-free in Real Madrid's first team, while the other 20 players have experienced varying degrees of physical problems. Among them, as many as 13 players have been sidelined for more than 50 days, and 8 players have missed over 100 days. This injury report has left the club in a passive position, and Real Madrid has yet to stem this crisis.
Nearly half of Real Madrid's team has been affected by injuries this season. At the start of the season, Ferland Mendy, Endrick, and Jude Bellingham were still recovering from serious injuries carried over from the previous season. Bellingham suffered from a shoulder injury throughout last season, and physical problems have kept him away from his best form this season. After recovering from shoulder surgery, he suffered a muscle injury in February, forcing him to stop again. Bellingham has been sidelined for 111 days this season, which has had a significant impact on his form.
In addition, the absences of key players such as Eduardo Camavinga, Thibaut Courtois, Antonio Rüdiger, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Hee-chan Hwang have dealt heavy blows to Real Madrid throughout the season. Rodrygo's situation is equally serious; he has been sidelined long-term since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in early March. This has basically closed off any potential transfer moves for him in the summer transfer market and will affect his ability to regain form until a relatively late stage of next season.
The impact of injuries on Real Madrid is not only reflected in this season but is also changing the team's future plans. Dani Carvajal and David Alaba's contracts are about to expire, and both are believed to be close to leaving; Antonio Rüdiger's contract extension is still under consideration; while Eder Militao, Rodrygo, and Ferland Mendy will remain at the club, Real Madrid must prepare more adequate safeguards for these positions due to the uncertainty surrounding their physical conditions.