Raúl Asencio’s start to the season has been delayed once again, and this time the setback could keep him out for several months. The Real Madrid centre-back, who has yet to play a single minute this season, is set to undergo surgery after failing to recover from a stress fracture in his right tibia.
The club confirmed on Wednesday that Asencio is still suffering from the injury and will undergo an operation on Thursday. Real Madrid have not officially announced how long the defender will be sidelined, but early reports from Spain suggest that his recovery could take between two and four months.
Asencio had already been dealing with the same problem last season. Despite the pain, he continued to play because Real Madrid were short of options in central defence and needed him available. This time, however, the club has decided not to take any more risks. With the discomfort refusing to disappear, surgery has now been considered the best solution.
The young defender remained at Valdebebas during the international break in an attempt to recover and regain full fitness. His objective was to finally make himself available to José Mourinho and compete for his first minutes of the season.
However, the situation took a turn for the worse when the pain returned and became more intense. After further medical examinations, the decision was made to operate rather than continue with conservative treatment.
Mourinho short of centre-backs against Villarreal
The timing could hardly be worse for Mourinho. Real Madrid are due to face Villarreal after the international break, and the Portuguese coach could find himself with Antonio Rüdiger as his only natural senior centre-back available.
Ibrahima Konaté suffered an injury while on international duty with France, leaving his participation in doubt. Éder Militão is still working his way back from injury and is expected to need several more weeks before returning, while Dean Huijsen will be unavailable through suspension.
That leaves Mourinho with very limited options.
The Real Madrid coach had previously dismissed the possibility of using Álvaro Carreras in central defence. As a result, Aurélien Tchouaméni currently appears to be the most realistic solution to partner Rüdiger at the back.
🚨💣 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: Raúl Asencio sera OUT pendant 2 à 4 MOIS. ❌🏥
— RMadrid actu 🇫🇷 (@RMadrid_actu) September 30, 2026
✅ Il sera de retour en 2027.@marca pic.twitter.com/JXvi34it1W
Another possibility would be to turn to the academy and give an opportunity to one of the club’s promising young defenders. Joan Martínez is among the names who could potentially be considered if the coaching staff decides to trust a player from La Fábrica.
For Asencio, meanwhile, the news represents a major personal blow. The defender had been hoping that the international break would finally allow him to put his injury problems behind him and make his first appearance under Mourinho.
With Real Madrid facing a shortage of defenders, there was a genuine opportunity for him to earn important minutes and establish himself in the manager’s plans.
Instead, his season will now be delayed once again. His main priority will be to recover fully from surgery and ensure that the injury does not become a recurring problem when he eventually returns to action.
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