Raúl Asencio Returns to Real Madrid Squad Under Mourinho

José Mourinho has his squad. And he has Raúl Asencio back.

On the eve of Real Madrid’s league trip to Rayo Vallecano in the fifth round of the Spanish season, Mourinho named his travelling group, with one name leaping off the page. Asencio returns after more than a month on the sidelines, finally cleared to step into a matchday squad he has yet to taste under the Portuguese coach.

Asencio back from a long, messy layoff

The defender has endured a stop-start spell that stretched to around six weeks out. First came a muscular problem in the rectus femoris. Then, just as he tried to push back, a setback in his shin bone stalled everything again.

Now the medical reports are clean. Asencio has trained with the group in recent days, completed full sessions without incident, and earned the green light to be included against Rayo. For the first time under Mourinho, he is available, not just rehabbing in the background.

The timing matters. Madrid are staring at a congested run of fixtures, with league games spilling into midweek and the physical load rising sharply. Mourinho suddenly has another body for central defence, an extra option when rotation is no longer a luxury but a necessity.

A turbulent summer off the pitch

Asencio’s comeback also draws a line under a chaotic summer that almost took him away from the club.

Before the injury, he had been close to an exit, his future seemingly pointing away from the Bernabéu. The physical problems froze any move, leaving him stuck in limbo while his name stayed on the squad list but off the pitch.

Off the field, the noise was even louder. The defender recently learned of his acquittal in the case linked to a video in which he was involved. At the same time, a court convicted him of driving under the influence of alcohol on the island of Gran Canaria last August.

Mourinho did not hide his frustration. “A Real Madrid player remains a Real Madrid player 24 hours a day. What you do outside the club can harm your reputation and the club's reputation, and I am not happy,” he said, drawing a clear line on behaviour and standards.

Now the disciplinary headlines give way to a different test. Fit again, Asencio’s focus returns to the pitch, where he still has everything to prove and no guarantees. Earning minutes under Mourinho will require more than a clean bill of health.

Key absences and the full squad list

While Asencio steps in, three familiar names step out. Éder Militão, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo all miss the trip and are absent from the squad.

Mourinho’s list for the Rayo clash:

• Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin, Sergio Mestre.
• Defence: Asencio, Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Cucurella, Carreras, Rüdiger, Dumfries.
• Midfield: Bellingham, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouaméni, Arda Güler, Bernardo Silva, Thiago Pitarch.
• Attack: Vinícius, Endrick, Mbappé, Espí, Brahim Díaz, Diomandé.

In a packed calendar and a demanding dressing room, Asencio has his opening. What he does with it will decide whether this turbulent chapter becomes a turning point or just a brief pause before the next storm.