Tchouameni and Endrick Ruled Out for Real Madrid's Clash With Malaga

Two absences are shaping the buildup. Aurelien Tchouameni and Endrick will not be available for Real Madrid this Sunday against Malaga, in the matchday three clash at the Bernabeu. Neither player trained with the group at Ciudad Real Madrid on Friday, and the club is choosing not to take any risks.

Tchouameni's situation has been building for a while. The Frenchman has been dealing with physical issues since the World Cup and has yet to return to full training with his teammates. Ahead of the match against Real Sociedad, Jose Mourinho had already moved to calm any alarm, making clear this wasn't a setback while also being blunt that the club has no intention of rushing his return.

We decided together with him, the coaching staff and the medical department that he needs to come back at one hundred percent. We're going to wait. If it's another week, it's another week, but we're not going to push him.Jose Mourinho

That comment sums up pretty well the Portuguese coach's philosophy when it comes to muscle injuries: better to lose a match than lose a player for several weeks. With a midfield that needs fresh legs at every stage of the season, it's no surprise Real Madrid would rather err on the side of caution with a player who was so important last campaign.

Endrick, meanwhile, is still working through a minor muscle tendinitis. Mourinho explained this week that it's a precautionary measure, meant to keep that small warning sign from turning into something more serious. The coach didn't give a timeline for the Brazilian's return, so it remains to be seen when he'll be available again.

The list of absences doesn't stop there. Raul Asencio, Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao, Rodrygo Goes and Thiago Pitarch also did individual recovery work and did not join the group session. That's a lot of names at once, but it's worth remembering not all of them are dealing with the same type of issue or are at the same stage of recovery.

Training With Drills and Small-Sided Games

The rest of the squad completed the session as normal. It began with physical work on the pitch, continued with a tactical phase and exercises focused on possession, dribbling and combination play, and wrapped up with several rounds of small-sided games, according to the club's official website.

With all these absences on the table, the question that remains is how Mourinho will line up his squad against Malaga. What does seem clear is that, with both Tchouameni and Endrick, the club won't be moving up the recovery timeline for a single league fixture.