Real Madrid Sees Significant Drop in Muscle Injuries This Season
Real Madrid’s record concerning muscle injuries has significantly improved since José Mourinho’s return to the club this season, as reported by AS. After several seasons plagued by injuries disrupting the team’s plans, initial signs indicate that the Portuguese coach has made substantial strides in addressing one of the club’s biggest challenges.
Only One Muscle Injury So Far
In recent years, Real Madrid often relied on academy players to fill gaps due to injuries, despite having a first-team squad of nearly 25 players. The frequent muscle injuries hindered their plans, prompting Mourinho to prioritize injury prevention upon his appointment. So far this season, Real Madrid has seen only one player, Federico Valverde, suffer a muscle injury – occurring during a recent Clasico match against Barcelona.
Beyond Valverde’s case, the Merengues have avoided any another muscle injury-related absence this season, with exceptions for players already dealing with fitness issues before the current campaign. Rodrygo, Thiago Pitarch, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, and Asensio are noted to have injury-related absences that predate the start of the season.
Significant Improvement on Last Season’s Numbers
The improvement is stark compared to the same period last season when Real Madrid’s first-team players collectively missed 39 matches due to injuries. That number surged to 62 when including players who had ongoing injuries from the last campaign or those who encountered issues over the summer. Notable players like Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, Aurelien Tchouameni, Dani Ceballos, and Franco Mastantuono faced muscular concerns during the early months of the previous season.
This season’s positive trend arises from Mourinho and his coaching staff’s focus on physical preparation and carefully monitoring each player’s training and match demands. These strategies seem to be successful, allowing the squad to sustain a higher fitness level and ensuring greater player availability for upcoming matches.
While the current low incidence of injuries is encouraging, the team acknowledges that maintaining this level of performance throughout the season remains a challenge. Nevertheless, the decline in muscle-related issues signals a welcome change from the struggles Real Madrid faced in past campaigns.
