Mourinho faces six-man injury and suspension crisis for Real Madrid's Champions League opener against Inter

Real Madrid will be without six senior players when they host Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday in their Champions League league-phase opener, with José Mourinho’s squad depth facing an immediate test at the start of the European campaign.

Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler and Bernardo Silva are all suspended for the fixture, serving bans carried over from the 2025/26 season after each received a red card in their final European appearance last term. The trio’s absence strips Mourinho of three midfield and attacking options in a single blow before a ball has been kicked in this season’s competition.

Three injury absences compound the problem further. Rodrygo, Éder Militão and Ferland Mendy all remain unavailable for selection, leaving the head coach short across multiple positions. Real Madrid have been preparing for the match at their Valdebebas training base, though the scale of the absentee list narrows the tactical choices available to Mourinho considerably.

Inter Milan arrive in Madrid as reigning Serie A champions, making Tuesday’s fixture a stern early examination of how Real Madrid can cope with a depleted squad. The suspensions are confirmed as carry-overs from last season’s European run, though the specific disciplinary incidents that triggered the bans have not been detailed. There is no indication yet of when Camavinga, Güler or Silva will next be eligible to feature in European competition.

The match represents the first of Real Madrid’s league-phase fixtures in this season’s Champions League, and the result will set an early tone for Mourinho’s side in a format that demands consistency across a large number of group-stage games.