Cucurella Injury Adds to Mourinho's Concerns After Madrid's Loss

Madrid’s first defeat of the season came with a sting in the tail – and not just on the scoreboard.

Cucurella scare adds to Mourinho’s growing headache

Real Betis not only handed Madrid their opening loss of the campaign, they also forced José Mourinho to watch his first-choice left-back, Cucurella, limp off in the closing stages. The Spaniard, fresh from a World Cup win and recently entrenched as Mourinho’s preferred option ahead of Alvaro Carreras, left the pitch with clear signs of discomfort.

His status for the coming week now hangs in the balance.

Mourinho moved quickly after the final whistle to cool any talk of a serious injury, explaining that the substitution was driven by caution rather than crisis.

“Carreras coming on for Cucurella due to cramps,” he told reporters, framing the decision as a response to fatigue late in the game.

Even so, the clock is already ticking. With a midweek European opener looming, what might be “just cramps” on paper becomes a race against time in practice. Mundo Deportivo reports that while the problem is not considered serious, the turnaround is brutally short for a player who has logged heavy minutes and only recently returned from the emotional and physical demands of a World Cup triumph.

Thin squad, high stakes

Cucurella’s possible absence would hit a squad already stretched to its limits. Mourinho’s selection board is littered with unavailable names across the pitch.

• Aurelien Tchouameni
• Eder Militao
• Rodrygo
• Ferland Mendy
• Endrick

Inside the club, there is still some hope that Tchouameni or Rodrygo could recover in time to play a part, but neither case is straightforward.

The problems do not stop with injuries. Arda Guler, Bernardo Silva, and Eduardo Camavinga are all ruled out through suspension, stripping Mourinho of quality and depth in midfield and attack at precisely the wrong moment. Every reshuffle in one area now threatens to create a gap in another.

The result is a manager working with a heavily restricted hand just as the season moves into a defining phase.

Inter on the horizon

Madrid return to the training ground on Sunday with no time to dwell on the Betis defeat. Preparation starts immediately for Tuesday’s Champions League opener against Inter Milan, a fixture that already carried weight but now feels loaded with extra tension.

The domestic loss has altered the mood. A positive result against one of Europe’s established forces is no longer just desirable; it feels essential to steady the narrative around Mourinho’s side.

Cucurella will be monitored closely in the coming sessions. If he responds well, he starts. If not, Carreras, recently displaced but now thrust back into the frame, is poised to reclaim the left flank for a match that could shape Madrid’s early-season story.

In a week like this, every decision on that teamsheet will echo far beyond Tuesday night.