Endrick and Aurélien Tchouaméni were notable omissions from Real Madrid’s squad to face Espanyol, becoming the most prominent absentees ahead of José Mourinho’s first official match in his second tenure with the Royal Club.
Real Madrid visit Espanyol on Saturday evening to kick off their La Liga campaign, before hosting Real Sociedad on Wednesday in a rescheduled opening-round fixture.
Endrick is recovering from a minor muscle injury sustained in recent days, following a period of specialized physical training aimed at injury prevention. Real Madrid have not set a definitive timetable for his return, leaving his availability against Sociedad in doubt pending further medical evaluations in upcoming training sessions.
Tchouaméni, meanwhile, has overcome thigh muscle overload and resumed normal group training. However, Mourinho opted against risking him against Espanyol due to a lack of complete match fitness following his delayed return to pre-season preparations.
The French international needs a few more full training sessions to raise his fitness levels, making him a strong candidate to return against Real Sociedad, provided he responds well to his conditioning program without further discomfort.
Conversely, Mourinho’s squad boasts its full attacking firepower, headlined by Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham, alongside Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, and Arda Güler.
Additionally, summer additions Bernardo Silva, Yan Diomande, Ibrahima Konaté, Marc Cucurella, and Denzel Dumfries are all available for the anticipated clash, while the Portuguese manager also included youth trio Mario Rivas, Cestero, and Alexis Ciria in the traveling list.
