Real Madrid's defence continues to suffer from the injury crisis that has plagued it over the last two seasons, leaving Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho in a difficult position ahead of the start of preparations for the new season. He found himself without a single first-team centre-back available for the opening friendly against Fiorentina.
An ongoing crisis
Centre-back has become one of Real Madrid's most glaring weaknesses in recent years. The crisis began to worsen during the 2024-2025 season, when the team lost three of its most notable defensive players in a short space of time.
Brazilian Eder Militao was the first victim, suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament along with a meniscus injury to the knee in November 2024. David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger followed him at the end of the season, both picking up injuries to the meniscus of the left knee within just a few days of each other.
Those injuries brought Real Madrid's defensive options crashing down. Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti had to look for temporary solutions, relying on Aurelien Tchouameni in the centre-back role during various periods, promoting Raul Asencio from the Castilla side and giving the young Jacobo Ramon a chance.
The crisis found no solution the following season, despite the club's attempts to improve matters within the medical staff. They signed Nico Mihaic at the beginning of January to take on the role of new medical supervisor, just days before Xabi Alonso's departure.
Even so, the defence continued to suffer. Militao sustained a new injury in the form of a severe tear in the biceps femoris muscle, which forced him to undergo surgery, and he is still working through a recovery programme to this day.
Alaba also suffered a series of setbacks due to problems in his calf muscle. Rudiger, meanwhile, was absent for up to two months with muscular pain and knee problems, which forced him to travel to London for special treatment under the supervision of a specialist.
The German defender underwent a rehabilitation programme that included injections and precise physical work under the supervision of his own team before returning to the pitch. His physical condition still requires careful management and no heavy match load.
Young defender Dean Huijsen, a recent addition to Real Madrid, was not spared the curse of injuries either. Physical problems deprived him of 13 matches during his first season in the shirt of the Royal club.
A defensive predicament before the start of the season
This crisis casts a shadow over the start of Mourinho's new project at Real Madrid. Before the first friendly test against Fiorentina, the Portuguese coach discovered he did not have a single first-team centre-back ready.
Huijsen is absent with physical discomfort that kept him in the Spanish capital. Raul Asencio suffered an injury to the rectus femoris muscle that will sideline him for between four and six weeks, ruling him out of the entire preparation period.
Ibrahima Konate has also yet to join the team after being given a period of rest following his part in the World Cup, with his return expected tomorrow, Sunday. Rudiger, who returned only days ago, needs to regain his physical readiness.
Militao, meanwhile, is still continuing his long recovery journey, amid expectations that he will not return for several months.
Mourinho demands a quick solution
Under these circumstances, Mourinho will have to rely on the young duo of Lamine Fati and Joan Martinez to lead the defensive line, the same partnership with which Castilla contested last season's competitions during their battle for promotion.
The situation hands the young pair a golden opportunity to prove themselves. At the same time, it lays bare the scale of the crisis Real Madrid are experiencing in this position, and their urgent need for a strong defensive reinforcement.
According to Spanish newspaper "Marca", Mourinho has asked the Royal club's board to sign a new centre-back given the current situation, despite the addition of Ibrahima Konate.
The newspaper explained that the Portuguese coach has believed, since his arrival in Madrid, that the centre-back position needs reinforcing with a top-class player, especially with the continuing doubts over the physical condition of the current players.
Completing a new deal, though, requires the departure of one of the players, and here Raul Asencio emerges as the most prominent candidate to leave the team this summer.
Real Madrid want to sell Asencio to free up space in the squad and finance the signing of a world-class defender. His recent injury may affect the timing of the deal, but it does not significantly change the club's plans.
August will be decisive. The future of Real Madrid's defence depends on the club's ability to end a crisis that has stayed open for more than two years, and to restore stability to a line that has been suffering from recurring injuries.