Real Madrid Aiming for Fourth Straight Win Against Betis
Real Madrid travel to Seville on Friday chasing a fourth win from four in La Liga and a chance to keep stride with early leaders Barcelona. The mood could hardly be better. The treatment room, though, still tells a more complicated story.
Jose Mourinho’s side brushed aside Malaga 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, a performance that underlined the firepower now at his disposal. Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler all scored in a ruthless display that kept Los Blancos perfect and level on points with Barca.
Next up is Real Betis, stung by a 5-2 defeat to Levante after opening the campaign with back-to-back victories. Betis will be desperate to steady themselves at home. Madrid arrive looking relentless, but not quite at full strength.
Tchouameni and Endrick edging closer
The most encouraging news for Mourinho comes in midfield. Aurelien Tchouameni, yet to kick a ball this season because of a muscle injury, is closing in on a return. The Frenchman is rated a minor doubt, with a possible comeback pencilled in for the Betis clash on September 4.
Mourinho, though, is in no mood to gamble. With the schedule about to tighten and the first international break looming, he is reluctant to take risks with Tchouameni’s fitness, even as the player inches closer to being available.
Up front, Endrick is also moving back into the frame. The Brazilian has missed the opening three league games with a muscular issue, but there is a realistic chance he makes a matchday squad for the first time this season in Seville. Even a place on the bench would add another explosive option to an attack already humming with confidence.
Militao and Rodrygo facing long waits
Not everyone is on the brink of a return. At the back, Eder Militao remains out with a hamstring injury picked up against Alaves on April 21. His rehabilitation is progressing, but the expectation is clear: he is unlikely to feature before the first international break of the season.
The outlook is even more severe for Rodrygo. The forward is set for a long spell on the sidelines after a serious knee injury suffered in March. Early 2027 is the target for his comeback, a brutal timeline that removes a key weapon from Madrid’s attacking rotation for the entire campaign.
Defensive worries deepen with Asencio and Mendy
Raul Asencio’s situation adds another layer of concern in defence. The centre-back, linked with a possible summer exit, missed the start of the season with a quadricep problem. He has shaken that off, only to suffer a separate issue in the same leg.
The risk is stark: surgery is on the table, with a potential rehabilitation period of six to eight weeks if he goes under the knife. For a squad already juggling absences at the back, that would stretch resources further.
On the left, Ferland Mendy is nowhere near a return. A thigh injury has effectively removed him from Mourinho’s first-team plans until the latter stages of 2026. Any solution there will have to be internal, tactical, or from the market down the line. It will not be Mendy, not for a long time.
Pitarch still in limbo
Thiago Pitarch’s Madrid story has barely begun and is already on pause. The midfielder suffered a knee injury at the start of his very first pre-season training session. He is now back on the grass and working with the ball, a clear step forward, but there is still no firm date for his competitive return.
For Mourinho, it means another option remains theoretical rather than practical as the season’s demands start to rise.
Clean slate on discipline
One area where Madrid travel light is the disciplinary column. There are no suspensions for Friday’s game, leaving Mourinho free to pick from every fit player in his squad.
So Madrid head to Betis unbeaten, brimming with goals, but still carrying some heavy absences. The question now is simple: can this reshaped, slightly patched-up squad keep winning long enough for the cavalry to finally arrive?
