Real Madrid welcome Inter Milan to the Santiago Bernabéu this Tuesday for their opening match of the Champions League campaign, but José Mourinho will have to deal with a severely depleted squad.
The return of the Champions League is always one of the most eagerly awaited moments of the football season. Europe’s most prestigious club competition gets underway again this Tuesday, with one of the standout fixtures of the opening round taking place in Madrid as Real Madrid host Inter Milan.
The match will also carry special significance for José Mourinho. The Portuguese coach comes up against the club with which he famously won the Champions League in 2010, completing a historic treble before leaving Inter for Real Madrid shortly afterwards.
However, Mourinho made it clear during his pre-match press conference that nostalgia will have no place once the game begins. For the Real Madrid boss, this is simply another major European battle in which only the three points matter.
His biggest concern ahead of the encounter is the long list of unavailable players.
Three players suspended
Real Madrid will first have to cope with the absence of three important midfielders due to suspension.
Bernardo Silva, Eduardo Camavinga and Arda Güler are all ruled out after red cards picked up during last season’s Champions League campaign. Their suspensions leave Mourinho with very limited options in midfield for such a demanding fixture.
The situation is made even more complicated by injuries.
Rodrygo, Éder Militão, Ferland Mendy and Raul Asencio remain unavailable and are continuing their respective recovery programmes. None of them is considered close enough to a return to feature against Inter.
There is, however, some positive news regarding Endrick. The Brazilian forward has been included in the squad after recovering sufficiently to make himself available. Mourinho nevertheless warned that the young striker is not yet ready to play a major role and could only be used for around five or ten minutes if necessary.
Aurélien Tchouaméni and Thiago Pitarch have also returned to the matchday squad following several days on the sidelines. Their presence gives Mourinho additional options, although it appears unlikely that either player will be ready to start the game.
With so many players missing, the Madrid coach will therefore have to find the right balance against an Inter side capable of causing serious problems.
Real Madrid squad against Inter Milan
📋✅ Voici les joueurs convoqués pour le match !
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇫🇷 (@realmadridfra) September 8, 2026
🆚 @Inter pic.twitter.com/sBUd0lINPF
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Sergio Mestre, Javi Navarro
Defenders: Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konaté, Marc Cucurella, Álvaro Carreras, Antonio Rüdiger, Denzel Dumfries, Mario Rivas
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Thiago Pitarch, Cestero
Forwards: Vinicius Junior, Endrick, Kylian Mbappé, Carlos Espí, Brahim Díaz, Yan Diomandé
Despite the absences, Real Madrid can still rely on several of their biggest stars, including Mbappé, Vinicius, Bellingham and Courtois.
Mourinho will now be hoping that his available players can deliver a strong performance at the Bernabéu and begin the new Champions League campaign with an important victory against one of Europe’s strongest opponents.
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