Real Madrid press on with their preparations for the new season, still without Brazilian duo Rodrygo Goes and Éder Militão. Both remain sidelined by injury, and neither is expected back on the pitch for months.
Speaking on Spanish radio station "Cope" this Sunday, journalist Arancha Rodríguez revealed that Rodrygo has been dealing with a tear to his cruciate ligament and meniscus since 18 March. She put his absence at between 10 and 12 months, pointing to a return at the start of 2027.
Militão, meanwhile, damaged his biceps femoris muscle on 21 April. His absence runs from 4 to 5 months, with a comeback pencilled in for September or October.
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Real Madrid had officially confirmed that Rodrygo underwent successful surgery in March to treat a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament and the external meniscus of his right leg, before starting his rehabilitation programme.
The Militão injury came against Alavés in April, when he hurt the biceps femoris muscle in his left leg. Real Madrid later revealed he had sustained a tear in the proximal tendon of the same muscle.
Surgery followed on 28 April and went well, and the Brazilian defender then began his recovery.
His injury record makes this latest setback all the more worrying. Militão had only returned to action in April after nearly 4 months out with a previous problem in the biceps femoris muscle, and he has also suffered two cruciate ligament tears since 2024.
French full-back Ferland Mendy adds to Real Madrid's absentee list. He damaged the rectus femoris muscle tendon in his right leg and had successful surgery last May. His recovery is expected to take around 5 to 7 months, putting his return at the end of this year.
Young midfielder Thiago Pitarch is nursing a sprain in the medial collateral ligament of his knee, picked up on 26 July. That one should keep him out for roughly 3 to 4 weeks, meaning a return at the end of August or the start of September.