Real Madrid's Injury Return Boost Ahead of Champions League
Real Madrid’s treatment room finally opened its doors on Sunday, and three familiar faces walked back onto the grass.
Aurélien Tchouameni, Thiago Pitarch and Endrick rejoined group training at Valdebebas as José Mourinho’s side accelerates preparations for Tuesday’s Champions League opener against Inter Milan. For a squad still nursing the bruises of a damaging defeat to Betis, it felt like a badly needed injection of optimism.
The reality is harsher. All three have missed more than a month of pre-season work. Their legs are behind, their rhythm is off, and their chances of starting at the San Siro are slim. Mourinho knows it. So do they.
Mourinho’s midfield puzzle
The timing of their return collides with a selection headache. Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler and Bernardo Silva are all suspended for the Inter clash, ripping out key pieces of Mourinho’s midfield structure. The coach who thrives on control and organisation now faces a major rebuild in the very heart of his team.
He will have to redraw his plan. Different profiles, different partnerships, different risks. The loss to Betis already cranked up the pressure; the Champions League only sharpens it.
That is where Tchouameni, Pitarch and Endrick come in. Not as instant saviours, but as emergency options inching their way back to full speed.
Racing the clock
Over the next few days, the trio will live in the space between hope and reality. Sessions will be intense, with every sprint, every duel, every tactical drill aimed at clawing back conditioning and tuning into Mourinho’s demands.
They are not just chasing fitness. They are chasing trust. Understanding the manager’s system, reconnecting with teammates, feeling the ball again under pressure — all of it has to be compressed into a handful of training sessions.
A starting place on Tuesday looks unlikely. A role off the bench? That is the window they are trying to force open.
For Mourinho, it turns into a simple question with a complicated answer: in a Champions League debut already loaded with tension, how much can he really lean on three players still running against the clock?
