Real Madrid go into Saturday's LaLiga meeting with Villarreal with availability doing most of the talking. In one training session, only four first-team outfield players were available, while Éder Militão has only just joined the rest of the group as he continues his recovery work.
Madrid's depleted training week
The four outfield players on the grass were Raúl Asencio, Álvaro Carreras, Antonio Rüdiger and Aurélien Tchouaméni. That is a tiny group for any club, let alone one trying to prepare for a league match at the Santiago Bernabéu.
José Mourinho is expected to wait for the internationals to return before he can properly work with the full squad, even as the club manage several absences and recovery cases. The session itself was enough to show how thin the build-up has been.
Villarreal's opening at the Bernabéu
Real Madrid are fourth in LaLiga and six points behind Barcelona, so this is not just an awkward week on the training pitch. Villarreal arrive ninth, and the gap in preparation gives them a reason to believe Saturday can be uncomfortable for the home side.
Fede Valverde is out with a grade 3 sprain in his left ankle, suffered in the derby against Atlético de Madrid. Kylian Mbappé is still waiting for progress in his recovery from the hyperextension of the posterior capsule of his left knee, and Rodrygo is among the other names away with Brazil.
Militão's return to work alongside his teammates is a step in the right direction, but it does not change the basic problem. Real Madrid host Villarreal on Saturday, 10 October, at 21:00 hours at the Santiago Bernabéu in the eighth round of LaLiga EA Sports.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
