Asencio surgery leaves Real Madrid with just one fit centre-back for weeks

Real Madrid are down to a single fit centre-back after confirming that Raúl Asencio will undergo surgery on a stress fracture in his right tibia, with the procedure scheduled for Thursday 1 October. The club’s announcement, first reported by Managing Madrid, puts Asencio out for up to four months, though no precise return date has been set.

The timing could hardly be worse for José Mourinho’s coaching staff. Dean Huijsen is suspended following his red card against Atlético de Madrid, while Ibrahima Konaté is also sidelined through injury. That leaves Antonio Rüdiger as the only recognised centre-back currently available, just two months into the 2025-26 campaign.

According to Managing Madrid, Asencio had been carrying pain and discomfort through the second half of last season and played through the symptoms. The surgery therefore resolves a problem that had been building for some time, even if the club has not elaborated on the treatment timeline or the circumstances that led to the decision to operate now.

Eder Militão’s ongoing recovery offers a potential route back to greater depth, but the report does not establish when he might be in a position to ease the current shortage. For now, the picture at the back is stark: three of Madrid’s senior centre-backs are unavailable simultaneously, with Rüdiger carrying the defensive responsibility alone.

Real Madrid have not confirmed a fixed absence period in their official medical update. The four-month estimate cited by Managing Madrid provides a working indication of the scale of the disruption rather than a guaranteed return date, meaning the club’s defensive situation could remain stretched well into the winter months.

Asencio’s surgery adds to a growing list of fitness concerns at the club, with Fede Valverde’s recent injury another example of the squad’s availability being stretched at an early stage of the season.