Antonio Rüdiger and Endrick have rejoined Real Madrid's preseason training, but the bigger picture is still the absences. Both players underwent medical tests on Wednesday before joining the session, and the squad was coming off a 4-1 win over Leganés in its second preseason match the day before. Jose Mourinho is still waiting on Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Junior and Marc Cucurella, so the group is not together yet.
The early returnees
Arda Güler was the first World Cup player to report back under Mourinho, and he has already logged 3 appearances and 280 minutes at the tournament. Federico Valverde has also returned to work, with 3 appearances and 244 minutes behind him. Denzel Dumfries is another early arrival, with 4 World Cup appearances and a 7.16 rating, which shows why the first wave back is more than just warm bodies in training.
The stars still away
Rüdiger's own summer workload was heavy enough, as he played 110 minutes in Germany's defeat to Paraguay. Reports around his international future have been mixed, with SPORT BILD via GOAL saying it was even suggested he was considering retiring, while other reporting left the door open after a managerial change. Endrick's case is simpler, he cut his vacation short and came back early, which gives him extra time before Saturday's friendly against Fiorentina.
For Madrid, the practical issue is obvious. The returning players give Mourinho more bodies, but the squad still lacks the names that usually shape the first-choice team, and that slows down any real work on structure and combinations. Rüdiger and Endrick are useful returns. They are not the full group Madrid need before the friendlies start to matter.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
