Kylian Mbappé reached a huge milestone by hitting 400 career goals after scoring twice in France’s 4–0 win over Ukraine, a result that secured the team a spot in the 2026 World Cup. What should’ve been a moment of celebration quickly turned into concern for Real Madrid. The French Federation confirmed that the forward left camp earlier than expected because of inflammation in his right ankle, adding yet another problem to Xabi Alonso’s squad during this international window. The news hit the club hard, which was already dealing with major limitations in the middle of the season.
The situation got even worse as the week went on because Mbappé wasn’t the only one to come out injured. Eduardo Camavinga also left the match against Ukraine with a muscle strain in his left thigh and returned sooner than planned. With all these setbacks piling up, Real Madrid now has seven important players sidelined, and it’s happening right when the team needs full strength to handle a short but decisive stretch of games.
An overcrowded medical department puts pressure on Xabi Alonso
The wave of issues started back in September, when Rüdiger injured the rectus femoris muscle in his left thigh and became doubtful until December. Tchouaméni and Valverde followed with similar muscle injuries. Carvajal has been out because of knee discomfort, and Mastantuono was added to the list after being diagnosed with pubalgia. Now, with Mbappé and Camavinga unavailable, Alonso’s room to maneuver has shrunk drastically.
The impact isn’t only tactical. Each absence shifts the team’s rhythm, the way the coach distributes roles and even the group’s confidence level.
Real Madrid faces a crucial run in a delicate moment
The calendar doesn’t give anyone a break. On November 23, Real Madrid plays Elche in the 13th round of La Liga, holding just a three point lead over Barcelona. Three days later, the team heads to Greece to face Olympiacos in the fifth round of the Champions League, still dealing with the effects of the loss to Liverpool in the previous match. It’s a stretch that demands consistency, but the squad is weakened by the growing list of injuries.
Real Madrid now has to manage the damage and hope its key players recover quickly. The team depends on urgent adjustments to avoid losing ground in the two most important competitions of the season.