Overview
- Madrid travel to Vitoria with a depleted back line: Éder Militao is out for up to four months, David Alaba and Ferland Mendy remain unavailable, Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold are injured, Álvaro Carreras and Fran García are suspended, and Antonio Rüdiger carries discomfort, leaving Asencio as the only fully fit defender.
- Center-back Dean Huijsen completed part of Friday’s closed training session, offering a potential reinforcement as Eduardo Camavinga is also viewed as a possible short-term return.
- Kylian Mbappé was not fit to play against Manchester City and is day-to-day for Sunday, a significant concern given he has scored 25 of Madrid’s 45 goals this season.
- The immediate schedule is framed as a decisive window: Alavés away on Sunday, a Copa del Rey tie against Talavera next, then Sevilla at the Bernabéu before the break.
- Recurring injuries have renewed debate over the club’s physical preparation, with Antonio Pintus now in a performance manager role and Ismael Camenforte overseeing first-team conditioning.