Endrick is set to pull on a Real Madrid shirt again today, Saturday, in the clash against Rayo Vallecano. His path back to match rhythm won't be strewn with roses. Competition up front has grown fiercer, Kylian Mbappé leaves little room for error, and Espai has proven himself one of the options available to the coaching staff.
Almost nine months have passed since Endrick's last Real Madrid appearance. That game was one nobody wanted to play, with the exception of Mbappé, who at the time was chasing Cristiano Ronaldo's record for the most goals in a single year.
Real Madrid opened the latest edition of the Copa del Rey in that fixture, played on 17 December 2025 at the Talavera de la Reina stadium.
Disagreements between the team and Xabi Alonso had reached a complicated stage by then, and it showed on the pitch. Real Madrid ground out a difficult 3-2 win, and that was where matters ended as far as Endrick was concerned.
The Brazilian striker already knew he was heading to Lyon, in an attempt to avoid falling out of the reckoning for the World Cup.
Nine months on, Endrick's situation hasn't improved much. His physical condition currently places him at the bottom of the list of options, but José Mourinho has made one thing clear: the player still has a place in his project.
Playing his first match of the current season, the team's sixth, is now within touching distance for the Brazilian. A mysterious muscle injury, wrapped in caution and ambiguity, had prevented his appearance until now.
Today's clash against Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabéu may finally mark that return, according to the Spanish newspaper "AS" .
A return measured in minutes
As his return nears, the big questions remain: how will Endrick play? And how long can he stay on the pitch?
Mourinho had addressed the issue in the press conference before the Inter Milan clash, confirming the player's return would be handled with great caution. That assessment is unlikely to shift much in a few days.
The Portuguese coach said: "He is ready to play five or ten minutes at the most."
So Endrick's return doesn't necessarily mean an immediate recovery of his place. The beginning will merely be a first step on a long road, one during which the player needs to regain his fitness and his rhythm, then try to carve out a path amid the crowd of attacking options.
When Endrick learned of his return to Real Madrid, the expectation was that he'd deputise for Mbappé, help him when needed, and give the team more options up front.
Gonzalo's expected departure would also have handed the Brazilian more space in the squad and boosted his chances of playing minutes.
Things changed quickly, though. Mbappé's burning desire to keep chasing the Ballon d'Or after his World Cup triumph made him more determined than ever to play as many minutes as possible, while Espai's striking emergence made Endrick's task even harder.
Caught between Mbappé's relentless ambition and Espai's rise as a new solution who has proven he can add something, the Brazilian striker finds himself facing competition more complicated than he'd expected.
The right flank: an open and crowded door
Endrick holds one advantage that may help his push back into the picture: his versatility and his ability to play more than one position, unlike Espai.
That versatility looks like one of the most prominent weapons the Brazilian can rely on. The problem is that every door leading to the starting line-up looks crowded.
Right wing may be one of the options open to Endrick, a chance to make use of his abilities, but it's a position with fierce competition for a starting place.
Even the 125 million euros splashed on the Diomandé deal wasn't enough to guarantee him any advantage or a permanent place in the line-up.
Arda Güler had been the most involved player in this position, starting three of the first four rounds before missing the fifth against Inter Milan through suspension.
Güler impressed during his appearances, and Brahim also convinced when asked to fill the role.
Versatility may give Endrick a chance to hunt for a place in the team, then, but it doesn't make the path easy, especially given the multiple options at Mourinho's disposal.
Mourinho holds on to his talent
For all these obstacles, Endrick can draw reassurance from the public stance Mourinho has taken on his future.
Tempting offers have arrived in recent weeks, including one from Roma, but the Portuguese coach refused to let him go, whether by loan or sale.
Mourinho said weeks ago: "I received many offers, but I did not want to loan him out or sell him, because I admire him. He has great talent."
That talent is precisely what Mourinho wants to develop at Real Madrid.
The task won't be easy, though. Endrick returns after a long absence, at a time when the attack has grown more crowded and the fight for every minute on the pitch has intensified.
The Rayo Vallecano clash is merely a new beginning for the Brazilian striker, and perhaps a first step on the road to regaining his place.
Mourinho wants to see what the player can offer, but with great caution after such a long absence, hoping Endrick will gradually turn into a genuine addition to the team.
Five minutes, or ten at most, may kick off the return journey. For Endrick it could be the start of a fresh rise.
The road ahead has grown steeper, the competition is fiercer than ever, and his place at Real Madrid is no longer guaranteed. In return, he still holds the confidence of his coach.
Between an anticipated return against Rayo Vallecano, a merciless fight up front and Mourinho's desire to refine his talent, Endrick stands before a new stage that may define much of his future with Real Madrid.
Saturday won't be merely the date of his return to the pitch. It may be the start of a new attempt to climb a mountain that has become steeper than ever.