Real Madrid have been constantly losing key players to injuries this season.
Real Madrid is experiencing one of its most unstable seasons in years, with fitness issues becoming the biggest bottleneck. According to statistics from Marca , the Spanish royal club recorded as many as 55 injuries between August and April.
The main reason cited is the short pre-season break after participating in the Club World Cup. Real Madrid finished the tournament on July 9th, regrouped on August 4th, played one friendly match, and immediately entered La Liga on August 19th. This packed schedule significantly shortened the preparation process, failing to ensure the necessary physical fitness for the entire season.
In an attempt to salvage the situation, the club's management made a drastic decision by replacing the head of the medical department. However, this move did not yield any noticeable results.
Key players like Kylian Mbappe, Arda Guler, and Eder Militao have all suffered injuries at crucial stages, severely depleting the squad.
According to internal assessments, the root of the crisis lies in suboptimal preparation. This problem persisted throughout both periods under the management of Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa, directly impacting performance in both La Liga and the Champions League.
However, Real Madrid wasn't the only team participating in the Club World Cup; Bayern Munich, PSG, and Inter Milan also competed and progressed deep into the tournament, while maintaining consistent form in their domestic leagues.
Manchester City are even in fierce competition for the Premier League title with Arsenal despite having a similar fixture list.
Meanwhile, Barcelona have taken full advantage of the fixture schedule to pull ahead in La Liga and are in a position to clinch the title early.
All of this made Real Madrid's season even more difficult, as they were both struggling on the pitch and plagued by a series of injuries.