Endrick is set to remain at Real Madrid this season, or at least until the January transfer window. José Mourinho has made it clear that he wants to keep the Brazilian striker in his squad, while the youngster himself remains determined to establish himself at the Santiago Bernabéu.
hoped to take advantage of Kylian Mbappé’s late return to secure as much playing time as possible at the start of the season, but a new physical setback has complicated his plans.
However, achieving that objective will be far from easy. Competition for places in Real Madrid’s attack is already extremely fierce, and the arrival of Yan Diomande has only increased the number of attacking options available to Mourinho.
The departure of Gonzalo García had initially appeared to create more space for Endrick, but Real Madrid quickly filled that gap by bringing in Carlos Espí. From Endrick’s point of view, that was not necessarily good news.
The Spanish striker offers a very different profile. Espí is a more traditional centre-forward, capable of playing with his back to goal and providing a strong physical presence inside the penalty area. His characteristics are similar to those of a classic target man such as Joselu, making him an interesting tactical alternative to Kylian Mbappé.
Endrick, meanwhile, possesses qualities that are closer to those of the French superstar. He likes to attack space, use his acceleration and operate around the penalty area. That similarity could make it more difficult for him to earn significant minutes, especially considering how important Mbappé is expected to be in Mourinho’s plans.
A new setback for Endrick
The Brazilian was given another opportunity against Deportivo, sharing the available minutes in attack with Carlos Espí. But his situation has now suffered an unfortunate twist.
Mbappé, who returned to team training earlier this week, is expected to play his first minutes of pre-season when Real Madrid face Schalke 04 on Sunday. Endrick, however, will not be able to take part.
According to COPE, the Real Madrid forward is suffering from muscular overload. The problem is not considered particularly serious, but it will prevent him from featuring in the final pre-season friendly and will slow down his preparation at a crucial moment.
The timing could hardly be worse for Endrick.
.@Endrick con una sobrecarga muscular, parece que se pierde el Partido del Salke el domingo ❌
— Melchor Ruiz (@MelchorRuizCope) August 14, 2026
Aunque espera estar para el debut en Liga ante el @RCDEspanyol ✅
With Mbappé still building up his fitness following his late return, the Brazilian had been hoping to use these early matches to convince Mourinho that he deserves an important role. Missing valuable training sessions and match minutes could now allow Carlos Espí to move ahead of him in the attacking hierarchy.
There is also uncertainty surrounding Endrick’s availability for Real Madrid’s upcoming La Liga meeting with Espanyol on August 22.
The medical staff will not take unnecessary risks, particularly at such an early stage of the campaign. For Endrick, however, every absence matters.
The Brazilian remains determined to fight for his place in Madrid, but this latest setback arrives at the worst possible moment as the battle for attacking minutes intensifies.
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