Militao returns to training and Real Madrid eyes late October comeback

He's already back on the grass at Valdebebas. And that, for Real Madrid, counts as good news after a few difficult months. Eder Militao has entered the final phase of his recovery, and everything points to a possible return in late October, according to multiple sources consulted by ESPN.

The Brazilian has spent weeks training on his own, but he's now running on grass regularly, working to regain his sharpness before rejoining Jose Mourinho's squad. The goal is clear: be available as soon as possible. Still, the club would rather not rush things. Militao has a history of injuries that calls for caution, and that's the big question nobody's ready to answer yet: will he be at 100 percent for the Clasico on October 25 against Barcelona? Sources say that, for now, it's still up in the air.

A setback that turned out worse than expected

To understand the club's caution, you have to go back to what happened with his injury. Militao suffered a setback in his hamstring after feeling discomfort during a match against Alaves, a game he didn't even finish: he was subbed off before halftime. At first, the scans didn't seem to show anything serious. But follow-up medical tests told a different story: the scar tissue from the injury he'd suffered back in December had reopened.

That diagnosis meant surgery, which pushed his recovery timeline out even further. A source told ESPN that the conservative PRP treatment the center back had undergone in December carried that risk built in, precisely because healing in such a sensitive area is so difficult. The fallout was harsh: Militao had no chance of playing for Madrid again that season and also missed the World Cup with Brazil.

The rest of the injury list and what's next after the break

Militao isn't the only name working his way back. Real Madrid held its first training session of the week with the players available during the international break, completing various physical work blocks at Ciudad Real Madrid, while Konate, Mbappe, Mendy, Rodrygo and Valverde each continued their own separate recovery processes.

Once the break ends, the Whites return to official action hosting Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu on October 10, at 9:00 PM local time (3:00 PM ET). Militao will still be out for that game, but it should offer a good read on how the rest of the injury list is progressing ahead of an October that will wrap up with nothing less than a trip to Camp Nou.