Real Madrid Boost with Tchouameni, Pitarch, and Endrick Returning

Real Madrid received a timely boost on Sunday as Aurelien Tchouameni, Thiago Pitarch and Endrick all returned to full training, just two days before the club’s Champions League opener against Inter Milan.

The sight of the trio back with the group will have pleased José Mourinho, but it comes with a clear caveat. All three have missed more than a month of pre-season work. Their legs are behind schedule. Their rhythm is off. A place in the starting XI at this stage would be a surprise rather than a plan.

And Mourinho has problems to solve.

Real Madrid head into Tuesday’s clash without Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler and Bernardo Silva, all suspended. That rips out a large chunk of the coach’s midfield options and leaves him facing a rebuild in the very area where Inter are strongest. After the flat, frustrating defeat to Betis, the timing could hardly be more awkward.

So these next few days at Valdebebas carry extra weight. Tchouameni, Pitarch and Endrick will use every session to sharpen their conditioning, chase match fitness and absorb the finer details of Mourinho’s demands. They may not be ready to start in Europe yet, but even as options off the bench, their return nudges Madrid’s season in a different direction.

Whether that shift comes quickly enough for Inter is the question hanging over Tuesday night.