35 injuries and 1,701 days out: Real Madrid facing the nightmare
The summer signing in the danger zone
Real Madrid had barely caught their breath after reinforcing their defence when the spectre of injuries came knocking at Valdebebas once again. Ibrahima Konaté, signed this summer to strengthen the heart of the defence, returned from the France national team camp with a minor sprain in his right knee. He is the latest victim of a string of injuries that have haunted the team's defenders in recent years.
The knock does not appear serious for now, but its timing has set off alarm bells at the club. Real Madrid brought Konaté in specifically to address a chronic defensive crisis that injuries have only deepened.
Absences at the heart of the defence were already piling up. David Alaba left after a long struggle with injuries, Éder Militão could not begin the season normally, and Antonio Rüdiger needed careful management of his physical condition.
Over the last two transfer windows the club moved to plug the gap, signing Dean Huijsen and Konaté, promoting the young Raúl Asencio and occasionally leaning on Aurélien Tchouaméni at centre-back.
The curse has not lifted. Eight injuries have struck Real Madrid since the start of the season under José Mourinho, and four of them have come at centre-back: two to Asencio, one to Huijsen and another to Konaté.
The numbers lay bare the scale of the problem over the past three seasons. Seven defenders have passed through the squad in that time, and between them they have racked up 35 injuries and 1,701 days of absence.
Nothing has changed at the start of this season. Three defenders have already broken down: Asencio, Huijsen and Konaté, according to the Spanish newspaper Marca.
Militão and Alaba: the toughest face of the crisis
Éder Militão remains the most worrying case. The Brazilian has sustained eight injuries and missed 700 days, featuring in only 52 of 179 matches over the past three seasons.
Militão began this season recovering from a long injury picked up last April, having been expected to lead the back line after Sergio Ramos and Raphaël Varane departed.
Alaba's record tells the same grim story. He too suffered eight injuries and 607 days out, playing just 47 of 179 matches in the same period before leaving the club.
Rüdiger and Huijsen: the list grows
Antonio Rüdiger shouldered the burden of his team-mates' lengthy absences, yet he could not stay clear of trouble himself. Five injuries kept him out for 195 days, though he still featured in 129 of 179 matches over the past three seasons.
Huijsen's first season with Real Madrid brought five physical problems and 69 days out, with the defender managing 40 of 56 matches.
Asencio has not escaped either. He suffered three physical problems last season that cost him 31 days, then opened this campaign with two injuries that kept him off the pitch for 44 days.
Nacho and Vallejo: former victims
Nacho and Vallejo belong on the list too, despite leaving the Bernabéu. In his final season at the club, Nacho suffered two injuries and missed 23 days, while Vallejo picked up four injuries in the 2024-2025 season that sidelined him for 76 days.
So Real Madrid find themselves back in a familiar bind at centre-back. Konaté arrived in search of stability and quickly landed on the injury list, reviving fears that the curse of the central defence, which has cost the club dearly in recent years, is far from over.
