Real Madrid Suffer Blow with Defender Ruled Out Until 2026
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It has been a very difficult period for Real Madrid regarding form and injuries.
Xabi Alonso's side have won just one of their last five games, and none of their previous three domestic outings. There have been reports of tension between manager and players, and Vinicius' new contract is, yet again, on hold.
Furthermore, it was reported this morning that transfer target Dayot Upamecano is set to extend his contract at Bayern Munich. That makes him the second Bayern defender of Real Madrid interest to sign a new contract this year, after left-back Alphonso Davies.
Which is a good segue into the next piece of bad news, regarding another left-back. Indeed, Arancha Rodriguez reported this afternoon that Ferland Mendy's 2025 is now over after he picked up yet another injury.
The Frenchman had only just returned to action, playing 90 minutes against Olympiacos last week for his first appearance since the Copa Del Rey final back in April of this year. He will have completed 2025 with just 15 appearances made all year.
This year has not been anything new, though, with the 30-year-old missing over 100 appearances with injury throughout his time at Real Madrid since joining in 2019. Unfortunately, injuries sum up his time at the club quite well.
TTruth be told, even when Mendy is fit, he probably isn't of the requisite level to be a starter anymore, whether that be as a result of injuries taking their toll or otherwise. Nevertheless, it is another body down in a congested part of the season.
Real Madrid are set to play four games in the next eleven days - against Athletic Club, Celta Vigo, Manchester City, and Deportivo Alaves - before finishing off before the break with a match against Sevilla. They will need all the help they can get. This injury leaves Alonso with just Fran Garcia and the exciting, but very raw, Alvaro Carreras through a very busy part of the campaign.
So, regardless of the defender's current level, this is far from optimal news. The number of injuries Real Madrid have had in defence has just been absurd, and is surely something that will be looked into internally.
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Tom Vinall is a sports writer covering Real Madrid On SI. Previously, he had worked at FanSided as both a contributor and site expert, covering the likes of Spurs and Bayern Munich. He has also previously written for Transfer News Live. Tom was born and lives in Bristol, South West England, and loves to listen to music as well as learning Spanish.
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