Real Madrid has been plagued by injuries from the beginning of this season, starting with the preseason when summer acquisition Arda Guler suffered an injury.
Following that, key first-team players like Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao endured ACL injuries, ruling them out for a significant portion of the season. More recently, Vinicius Junior also faced an injury setback and is expected to remain sidelined for an extended period.
Adding to their injury list, Ferland Mendy and Dani Ceballos also suffered injuries, keeping them out of action until now.
The two are nearing their return, presenting a new challenge for manager Carlo Ancelotti as they vie for spots in the lineup.
Ceballos has successfully recovered and is in the squad for the upcoming match against Real Sociedad.
On the other hand, Mendy is almost ready to return and is expected to feature in the Champions League opener against Union Berlin in midweek.
The return of Mendy will pose competition for Fran Garcia, who has shown promise but had a challenging performance in the last match against Getafe, leading to his substitution at halftime. Nacho replaced him.
In the midfield, Real Madrid is brimming with talent this season.
Even established players like Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are facing challenges to secure a spot in the starting XI due to the outstanding performances of younger talents such as Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde, Aurelien Tchoumeni, and Eduardo Camavinga.
With Ceballos rejoining the squad, it remains to be seen how much playing time he will be granted.
The return of players from injuries is a positive development for Real Madrid, especially given the upcoming tight schedule of six matches within 16 days. Squad depth will be essential to navigate through this demanding period.
