Real Madrid head into the La Liga opener against Espanyol with only three fit senior centre-backs available. Raúl Asencio is expected to miss around six weeks after a thigh problem in pre-season, while Éder Militão is still recovering. Jose Mourinho may have to lean on Antonio Rüdiger, Dean Huijsen and Ibrahima Konaté from the start.
Mourinho's defensive options
On paper, Real Madrid have five recognised centre-backs in the first-team squad. Two are unavailable for Espanyol, which leaves the staff with a very thin margin for the opening weekend.
The club's recent league form has been strong enough, with four wins in their last five and nine goals scored in that run. Even so, they have also conceded five, and the defensive shortage arrives with little room for error against an Espanyol side that won two of their last five and scored six.
Young defenders waiting behind the seniors
The shortage has also opened the door for younger players. The report says Joan Martinez and Mario Rivas caught Mourinho's attention in pre-season, and both started the club's first two friendly matches.
Konaté still has two weeks and a pre-season friendly against Schalke before the league campaign settles in, so there is at least some time to work on his fitness. Rüdiger has also just come back into action, after 45 minutes against Ferencváros and a start against Deportivo.
Real Madrid still have the better defensive names on paper, but the opener is likely to be about availability more than status. The first test comes against Espanyol, with the season starting under real pressure at the back.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
