Valverde's Injury Dilemma Ahead of Racing Santander Match

The high of a Clásico win rarely comes without a price. Real Madrid walked out of the Camp Nou with three points, a statement performance and a surge of confidence – but also with a problem that refuses to go away.

Federico Valverde is that problem.

The Uruguayan midfielder, Mourinho’s on‑field compass and first captain, left Barcelona with more than just satisfaction. He carried pain, the same discomfort that had dogged him through much of the first half before finally forcing him off in the second. Days later, the ache still lingers.

Valverde on the edge

At Valdebebas, the picture is mixed. According to “Marca”, Valverde’s condition has improved steadily in the hours since the Clásico, yet not enough for anyone to breathe easy. He trained alone, working through an individual programme tailored to his rehabilitation, testing the limits of that injured area without crossing them.

He is close. But not there.

That leaves him a genuine doubt for Sunday’s trip to Racing Santander, the first stop in a demanding stretch of three consecutive away games before the international break. The signs, for now, lean towards him making it. The decision, though, rests on one final session – tomorrow’s test at Valdebebas, where Mourinho and his staff will decide if he can be thrown back into the intensity of La Liga or must be held back.

Caution rules the discussion. Valverde is not just another midfielder; he is the heartbeat of this Real Madrid side. Mourinho knows it, the dressing room knows it, the numbers scream it.

Across all competitions this season, Valverde has already accumulated 1,071 minutes in 13 matches. In La Liga, he has started every one of the ten rounds played, logging 801 minutes. No rotation, no respite. He is one of the first names on the teamsheet, one of the pillars around which the manager builds his plan.

That is exactly why Real Madrid hesitate. Lose him now, and the cost could stretch well beyond one Sunday afternoon in Santander.

A busy road and a thin margin

The schedule offers no mercy. Racing Santander at El Sardinero is only the beginning. After that, the team flies to Athens to face AEK on 4 November, then on to Mestalla to meet Valencia on Saturday 7 November. Three away fixtures in quick succession, three different atmospheres, three games that demand intensity and control.

Mourinho has to juggle ambition with restraint. The temptation is obvious: ride the wave of the Barcelona victory, keep the strongest XI on the pitch, press the advantage while confidence is high. The risk is just as clear: overuse a key player who is already on the edge and pay for it in the weeks to come.

Inside the club, the message is clear – no unnecessary gambles. Valverde will only play if he proves in that final training session that he can handle the load without aggravating the injury. Anything less, and the brakes go on.

Courtois and Guler lift the mood

Not all the medical bulletins carry a warning label. Training also delivered a welcome dose of optimism.

Thibaut Courtois, sidelined for the Clásico with influenza, has shaken off the illness and returned to full group work. His presence instantly changes the outlook for the Racing Santander match, restoring stability in goal and giving Mourinho one less headache in a week full of them.

Arda Guler, too, completed a normal session. Fit again, the young talent hands the coaching staff another option as they map out the rotations needed to survive this run of games. With three trips in a row and the international break looming, every extra body matters.

Those returns ease the strain. They do not solve the central dilemma.

Because everything still circles back to Valverde.

Real Madrid stand at a delicate point in their season: energised by a huge win at Barcelona, staring down a punishing travel schedule, and reliant on a midfield captain who has already given them almost every minute his legs can offer. One more test at Valdebebas will decide it.

Does Valverde lead them out at El Sardinero and push through the pain, or does Mourinho draw a line now to protect his most trusted lieutenant for the battles still to come?