Real Madrid's Defensive Concerns: Asencio's Return and Mourinho's Dilemma

Real Madrid began their 2026-27 campaign against Espanyol with a win – and a warning. At centre-back, Jose Mourinho was down to the bare bones.

With Éder Militão and Raúl Asencio both unavailable, Mourinho turned to Ibrahima Konaté and Dean Huijsen to anchor his defence on Saturday night. Antonio Rüdiger, usually a guaranteed starter in these situations, stayed on the bench. Alongside him sat Mario Rivas, the La Fábrica centre-back drafted in to plug the gaps on a night that underlined just how thin Madrid are in that area.

Asencio’s absence has been one of the more curious subplots of Madrid’s summer. Told he was not part of Mourinho’s plans for 2026-27 and widely expected to leave, his future seemed to be drifting away from the Bernabéu. Then came the twist. An injury in a July training session halted any imminent exit and appeared to sideline him until September, shutting down the market around him just as it was meant to open.

Now the story has turned again.

According to Diario AS, Asencio is back on the grass with Real Madrid. He has returned to training and is expected to rejoin full group sessions later this week. If that schedule holds, he is on course to be named in the matchday squad for next weekend’s league fixture against Málaga.

For Mourinho, the timing could hardly be better. Madrid face three matches in eight days, a demanding run for any squad, let alone one light on specialist central defenders. Konaté and Rüdiger are not players a coach wants to run into the ground this early in the season, and Mourinho is unlikely to risk starting them repeatedly in quick succession. That is where Asencio suddenly becomes more than a forgotten name on the fringes. His availability on Sunday could be crucial, not just as cover but as a genuine rotation option in a congested week.

The other side of that coin is far less straightforward.

Asencio’s faster-than-expected return nudges open the transfer door again in the final days of the window. A fit defender is always a more attractive proposition, and his presence on the bench or the pitch against Málaga will not go unnoticed by clubs still shopping for late reinforcements before Monday’s deadline.

For now, the player’s stance is clear: he has no intention of listening to offers. He wants to stay and fight, even with Mourinho having made it clear he does not see him as a key figure. That resolve will be tested if the coming days bring minutes without trust, or a squad place without a real role.

Real Madrid need bodies at the back. Asencio needs a career that moves. By next week, will those two needs still meet in the same dressing room?