The Athletic's Real Madrid reporters Guillermo Rai and Mario Cortegana jointly wrote an article, talking about the latest situation of Real Madrid personnel and Endrick's developments.
After defeating Getafe 1-0, Real Madrid leads the La Liga standings with 2 points. Compared with the despair after the defeat to Atletico Madrid in September, the current atmosphere within the Real Madrid team is calm and positive, and the focus now is the upcoming El Clasico. Alonso has not used a repeat starter this season, insisting on a rotation strategy that is completely different from the arrangement that senior players such as Vinicius are used to in the past.
With Bellingham fully recovered from shoulder surgery and Rodrygo, Kylian Mbappe, Mastantono and Vinicius all in the lineup for the first time this season, it's unclear who Alonso will favor in big games. However, Guler and Vinicius came off the bench against Getafe and had a positive impact, which undoubtedly highlights the depth of the current squad.
And Endrick still has 0 appearances this season, but according to sources, despite the lack of playing opportunities, the player is still very reluctant to leave Real Madrid. However, due to Alonso's current employment tendency, sources do not have much hope that Endrick's situation will improve. It is said that some clubs have already begun to advance the loan matter. People close to the player believe that Endrick may miss next year's World Cup if he is unable to get consistent playing opportunities.
Sources from Madrid also mentioned that the next week is crucial for Real Madrid's entire season and Alonso's coaching plan. El Clasico has always been of great significance, not only because of the historical grudges between the two teams, but also because the showdown between Real Madrid and Barcelona often determines the La Liga championship. In view of the criticism faced by Alonso after leading the team to a disastrous defeat to Atletico Madrid and a 0-4 defeat to Paris in the Club World Cup, this El Clasico is particularly important.
After the disastrous defeat to Atletico Madrid, there is a view that this Real Madrid team may lack leadership, especially after they bid farewell to Modric, Kroos and other meritorious services. A strong performance in the most important game of the season so far will help Real Madrid answer these doubts and give the young players in the team more confidence to adapt to their new roles.
However, Alonso also faces many difficult choices before the national derby. Courtois suffered an impact on his right knee during the game against Getafe. However, according to sources from the club and player team, the injury does not appear to be serious and he will be able to play in the Champions League match against Juventus in midweek. Alaba was substituted at halftime due to discomfort in his right calf during the weekend's game, and his injury still needs to be evaluated.
Ceballos is expected to return to training this week, but due to the complicated recovery process, the medical team is very cautious about this. His condition will be evaluated daily. The latest news shows that he may not be able to return in time to face Juventus. Sources familiar with Huizen's situation believe that the central defender is expected to return in time against Barcelona.
The recovery status of Arnold and Carvajal is also very optimistic, but due to their longer injury time, it is still unknown whether they will play in the national derby. Mendy has resumed training with the team after six months of injury, but it will take some time before he can return to the starting lineup, while Rudiger is not expected to return until after the international break in November.