Mourinho reshapes Real Madrid squad as injuries cloud Real Sociedad test

Jose Mourinho has named Real Madrid’s squad for Wednesday’s La Liga meeting with Real Sociedad, with seven players unavailable for the club’s second league game of the season.

Aurelien Tchouameni and Endrick remain absent because of separate physical problems, while Mourinho has added three players from the club’s youth teams to complete his selection: Mario Rivas, Sestero and Alexis Seria.

Tchouameni has continued to experience pain since returning from the holiday he took after the conclusion of the World Cup, according to Spanish newspaper MARCA. The midfielder has had only limited opportunities to train and appear alongside his team-mates since coming back and will again miss out against Real Sociedad.

Endrick, meanwhile, is following an individual programme designed to help him avoid physical problems during the season. Real Madrid are keen to prevent a repeat of last season, when the forward was on loan at Lyon and was forced to stop on several occasions because of muscular issues.

Defender Raul Asencio is also missing after suffering a problem involving the bone in his leg. MARCA reported the injury on Tuesday, and the pain affecting the Canary Islands-born defender could lead to him undergoing surgery in the coming days.

Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, Rodrygo and Thiago Pitarch are the other players unavailable for Wednesday’s fixture, taking the total number of absentees to seven.

Despite the injuries, Real Madrid’s squad includes a number of high-profile attacking and midfield options. Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe are among the forwards selected, while Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva are included in midfield.

The squad named by Mourinho is:

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin and Sergio Mestre.

Defenders: Dean Huijsen, Trent, Ibrahima Konate, Marc Cucurella, Carreras, Antonio Rudiger, Denzel Dumfries and Mario Rivas.

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Arda Guler, Bernardo Silva, Sestero and Alexis Seria.

Forwards: Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe, Espe, Diaz and Yan Diomande.

The match at Real Sociedad will be Real Madrid’s second game in La Liga this season. The club will therefore begin the campaign with a reduced group, with the continuing concerns over Tchouameni, Endrick and Asencio adding to the established absences of Militao, Mendy, Rodrygo and Thiago Pitarch.

Mourinho will now have to manage the squad carefully for the trip, while Real Madrid’s medical staff assess whether Asencio’s condition requires an operation in the near future.