Raúl Asencio Returns to Real Madrid Squad for Rayo Vallecano Clash
José Mourinho has named his Real Madrid squad for Saturday’s league trip to Rayo Vallecano – and the headline is the return of Raúl Asencio after an ordeal of a summer and six weeks on the sidelines.
Asencio back at last
The Spanish centre-back is finally available again after a muscular problem in the rectus femoris, followed by a setback in his shin that stretched his absence to around a month and a half. He has yet to play a single competitive minute under Mourinho.
That could change now. Asencio has trained normally with the group in recent days, completed the final sessions before the Vallecano game without issues, and received the medical green light to rejoin the matchday squad.
His timing could hardly be better for his coach. Madrid face a congested run of fixtures, with league games spilling into midweek and rotation no longer a luxury but a necessity. Mourinho gains another specialist option in central defence at a moment when every body counts.
A chaotic summer off the pitch
Asencio’s return also draws a line under a turbulent few months away from the grass.
The defender had been close to leaving Real Madrid in the summer, only for his injury to freeze any movement around his future. While he recovered, his name stayed in the headlines for reasons far removed from football.
In recent days, he was acquitted in the case relating to a video in which he was involved. At the same time, a court on Gran Canaria convicted him of driving under the influence of alcohol last August.
Mourinho did not hide his displeasure. The coach publicly rebuked the player, stating: “A Real Madrid player remains a Real Madrid player 24 hours a day. What you do outside the club can harm your reputation and the club's reputation, and I am not happy.”
The message was clear. The margin for error, on and off the pitch, has shrunk.
Now fit, Asencio’s response has to come with the ball at his feet. He returns desperate to reset his image, fight for minutes and show Mourinho he can be trusted in a Real Madrid shirt, not just in training but under pressure, under the lights, when it matters.
Key absences and full squad list
While Asencio steps back in, three big names drop out. Éder Militão, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo all miss the trip and are not included in the squad.
Mourinho’s 23-man list for the Rayo Vallecano clash:
- Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin, Sergio Mestre.
- Defence: Asencio, Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Cucurella, Carreras, Rüdiger, Dumfries.
- Midfield: Bellingham, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouaméni, Arda Güler, Bernardo Silva, Thiago Pitarch.
- Attack: Vinícius, Endrick, Mbappé, Espí, Brahim Díaz, Diomandé.
For Asencio, simply being back on that list is a start. The real test begins when Mourinho finally turns to him and points to the pitch.
