Mourinho stops the bleeding

Mourinho has drastically reduced muscle injuries at Real Madrid; only Valverde has missed a match this season, compared to 39+ games lost last year.

Real Madrid's injury crisis has eased dramatically under José Mourinho's management. The Portuguese coach, who returned to the club to win titles, made improving player fitness a priority after previous seasons were ravaged by muscle injuries that forced the club to rely heavily on academy players despite a 25-man squad.

Only Valverde has missed a match due to muscle injury this season following the Clásico at Camp Nou. While Rodrygo, Thiago, Militao, Mendy and Asencio have had limited minutes, all arrived with pre-existing issues. By this stage last season, Real Madrid had accumulated 39 matches lost to injury among first-team players, rising to 62 when including those who started the campaign already sidelined.

Mourinho's methodology and his coaching staff's careful management of playing time and training load have enabled players to show superior physical condition. The reduction in injuries has been notable since his arrival at the Bernabéu, allowing him to field nearly the full squad for each match.