Mourinho's New Era at Real Madrid Begins with Injury Challenges

A new Real Madrid season. A familiar name back on the bench. And a squad list that already tells its own story.

José Mourinho’s second spell in charge of Los Blancos will officially begin this weekend with a trip to the RCDE Stadium to face RCD Espanyol in their 2026/27 La Liga opener, and the club have confirmed the group that will travel to Barcelona.

It is not a full-strength armada.

Injury problems shape Mourinho’s first squad

Mourinho walks back into a club used to juggling stars, but his first competitive match comes with a heavy medical bill. Key figures Rodrygo, Éder Militão and Raúl Asencio are all sidelined with long-term issues, stripping Real Madrid of firepower up front and stability at the back before a ball has been kicked in the new campaign.

The problems do not stop there. Aurélien Tchouaméni and Endrick have also been left out of the travelling party after recent fitness complaints. Both are understood to be precautionary omissions, with the club opting not to gamble on their availability on the opening weekend.

For a manager who thrives on control, that is a lot of uncertainty in one squad list.

Door opens for academy hopefuls

Those absences have created opportunity. Three academy products – Mario Rivas, Jorge Cestero and Alexis Ciria – have been called up and will make the journey to Espanyol with the senior side.

For the youngsters, it is a sudden step onto one of the game’s biggest stages. For Mourinho, it is an early chance to test the depth of the club’s famed youth system and to send a message about merit and readiness.

Real Madrid’s season, and Mourinho’s new era, will not wait for injured stars to return. It starts now, with a patched-up squad, a handful of hopefuls, and a demanding away day that will quickly reveal how much bite this revamped side really has.