Marc Cucurella has raised injury concerns at Real Madrid ahead of their UEFA Champions League opener against Inter Milan, after being forced off in the closing minutes of their La Liga defeat to Real Betis due to a physical issue.
Cucurella started and played 88 minutes during Real Madrid’s 1–0 loss to Betis, delivering a solid defensive performance before being replaced by Álvaro Carreras.
Speaking after the match, José Mourinho revealed that the Spanish left-back suffered from muscle cramps rather than a tear or structural injury. As a result, his availability against Inter has not been officially ruled out, despite the tight recovery window between the two fixtures.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the defender is most likely to miss Tuesday’s European clash as a precaution due to time constraints, with a view to making a full return on Saturday against Rayo Vallecano in La Liga.
Carreras stands as the natural replacement if Cucurella is ruled out, having replaced him against Betis. Mourinho retains full trust in Carreras, previously noting that rotating between the two left-backs presents no major tactical issue for his setup.
Since joining from Chelsea, Cucurella has featured in four La Liga matches for Los Blancos, starting two and accumulating 249 minutes. While yet to record a goal or assist, he has registered 11 ball recoveries and established himself as the primary choice at left-back.
Real Madrid will host Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday, September 8, at 21:00 CET in the opening matchday of the Champions League league phase.
Mourinho faces a severe selection crisis for the fixture, with Arda Güler, Bernardo Silva, and Eduardo Camavinga all serving suspensions, while Aurélien Tchouaméni remains sidelined. This leaves Federico Valverde as the only available first-team midfielder.
Furthermore, the injury list includes Éder Militão, Raúl Asencio, Rodrygo, Endrick, and Thiago Pitarch, with Ferland Mendy excluded from the Champions League squad list. Consequently, any potential absence of Cucurella would deal another blow to a squad facing its first major European test with severely limited options.
