Real Madrid’s Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday, October 14, will test their squad depth, with several players still recovering from injuries. Éder Militão has returned to group training after a prolonged absence, but José Mourinho has confirmed that the defender will miss the trip to Rome and the subsequent league match against Sevilla. His progress is encouraging, although the manager believes he needs more time before returning to competitive action.

Rodrygo and Raúl Asencio also remain unavailable. The Brazilian forward continues his recovery from a serious knee injury and is not expected to return until the early stages of 2027. Asencio, a centre-back rather than a midfielder, recently underwent surgery for a stress fracture in his right tibia and faces an extended absence. Ferland Mendy has begun reintegrating into training, but his return to match action remains uncertain.

There is better news elsewhere in the squad. Kylian Mbappé returned to the starting line-up against Villarreal on Saturday after recovering from the knee problem sustained during the international break. Ibrahima Konaté was also declared fit for that fixture, providing another defensive option alongside Antonio Rüdiger. Madrid therefore head towards the Roma match with some of their earlier injury concerns eased, rather than with Mbappé still in the initial stages of rehabilitation.

Mourinho must balance those returns with the continuing absences as Madrid prepare for an away fixture at the Stadio Olimpico. Militão’s return to training does not yet translate into match availability, while Rodrygo and Asencio remain longer-term concerns. The central challenge is reintegration: bringing recovered players back into competitive action without rushing those who still need additional conditioning.

With El Clásico approaching later in October, Madrid’s immediate priority is to manage the trip to Rome before returning to domestic action against Sevilla. The squad remains short of full strength, but Mbappé’s return and Konaté’s availability give Mourinho more options than the injury list alone suggests. Militão, meanwhile, will continue working towards a return beyond those next two fixtures