Real Madrid Prepares for La Liga Clash Against Malaga

Real Madrid trained on Saturday with a notable list of absentees as they sharpened preparations for Sunday’s La Liga clash with Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, Raul Asencio, Aurelien Tchouameni, Thiago Pitarch, Rodrygo and Endrick all sat out the main group session, the club managing a packed treatment room just three games into the league campaign.

The injured seven are at different stages of recovery, but all remain on tailored programmes. Militao and Endrick stepped up their work on an adjacent pitch, first going through intensive physical drills before moving into ball work, a clear sign both are edging closer to a return.

Tchouameni’s Situation

Tchouameni’s situation drew particular attention in Spain. Arancha Rodriguez, journalist at radio station Cope, underlined the internal stance on the midfielder’s absence, recalling recent comments from Mourinho: Tchouameni is desperate to play, but the technical staff are holding the line and insisting on a complete recovery before he is thrown back into competitive action. Rodriguez also pointed out that the Frenchman renewed his contract at the beginning of the summer, a reminder that the club are thinking long-term rather than chasing a quick fix.

Real Madrid head into the third round of La Liga with confidence after back-to-back victories, having edged Espanyol 2-1 and swept aside Real Sociedad 4-1. Malaga now walk into the Bernabeu facing a side that has started fast, even as key names watch from the sidelines.