Khaberni - Real Madrid and Barcelona, the Spanish football giants, are suffering from an injury crisis that has affected several of their players, just about two weeks before the El Clasico Liga match.
Real Madrid will host their rival Barcelona at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Sunday, October 26, in the highlight of the tenth round of the Spanish League.
The number of injured players on both teams has increased during the past few days, prompting them to withdraw from their national teams’ camps which are competing in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup finals, including French player Kylian Mbappe and Argentine Franco Mastantonio from Real Madrid, and Spanish player Dani Olmo from Barcelona.
The Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" mentioned that the number of injuries has the technical staff worried about the readiness of their star players, indicating that the teams have only about two weeks to determine whether those players will participate in El Clasico or not.
The physical state of 13 injured players from both teams was reviewed, with 6 from Real Madrid and 7 from Barcelona.
Current situation of Real Madrid's injured:
1. Kylian Mbappe: The French national team's medical staff decided to return him to Madrid after he suffered an injury to his right ankle during the match against Azerbaijan, missing the match against Iceland. The player had suffered a blow in the same ankle during the Real and Villarreal match in La Liga in the previous round, but indications support his presence with the royal club after the international break.
2. Franco Mastantonio: The Argentine national team allowed the player to return to Madrid due to muscle fatigue in the left thigh, while the newspaper confirms that the injury is not serious.
3. Dean Huysen: The Real Madrid defender did not join the Spanish national team camp after medical tests late last week showed he was suffering from a muscle injury.
4. Dani Carvajal: He suffered a leg muscle injury during the Madrid Derby against Atletico on September 27th, and is expected to return to team training after the current international break.
5. Trent Alexander-Arnold: The English fullback injured the rear thigh muscle during the Real Madrid and Olympique Marseille match on September 16th in the Champions League, expected to be out for 6 to 8 weeks, making it difficult for him to make the Clasico, but the player is making efforts to catch up for the match.
6. Ferland Mendy: The Frenchman has not appeared with Real Madrid since April 26th after he suffered a muscle injury in the final of the King’s Cup against Barcelona. He is still training alone and his return date has not yet been determined. Therefore, it is impossible for him to participate in El Clasico.
Current situation of Barcelona's injured:
1. Lamine Jamal: He felt pain in the pubic area during his last participation with the Spanish national team in September, missing several matches for Barcelona, then played half an hour against Real Sociedad and a full match against Paris Saint-Germain before his pain recurred, and the club is currently trying to prepare him for El Clasico.
2. Dani Olmo: He was unable to complete the training session for the Spanish national team on Friday due to a calf muscle injury, and he is scheduled to undergo new tests tomorrow Monday to determine the length of his absence amid doubts about his participation in El Clasico.
3. Fermin Lopez: He returned to partial training after his injury against Getafe on September 21st in the left pelvic muscle, and is expected to be available for the team after the international break.
4. Juan Garcia: He was injured in the last minute of the match between Barcelona and Real Oviedo and underwent surgery on September 27th due to a tear in the inner meniscus of the left knee, with doctors estimating his absence at 4 to 6 weeks, hence the newspaper suggests that he is not ready to play in El Clasico.
5. Raphinha: He finished the Oviedo match suffering from an injury in the back muscle, with doctors estimating his absence at 3 weeks, and his recovery period ends just two days before El Clasico, so his situation is not settled according to "Mundo Deportivo".
6. Gavi: He will be out of play for 4 to 5 months after undergoing an arthroscopic operation on the right knee, which is the second serious injury in the same joint, meaning he will be absent from the team until next year.
7. Marc-Andre ter Stegen: Although he is in the final stages of recovery after the surgery he underwent in July to treat problems in the lower back, he will not be ready to play before January 2026.
