Cucurella Scare as Madrid Faces First Defeat
Madrid’s first defeat of the season came with a sting in the tail.
Beaten by Real Betis, they also watched Marc Cucurella limp out late on, adding a fresh layer of anxiety to an already complicated week for José Mourinho.
Cucurella scare as Betis defeat bites
Cucurella, who has recently nailed down the starting left-back role ahead of Alvaro Carreras, asked to come off in the closing stages. The change immediately raised alarms, given his importance and the timing with Europe looming.
Mourinho moved quickly to calm fears. Speaking after the match, he insisted the substitution was not enforced by a serious injury but by fatigue.
“Carreras coming on for Cucurella due to cramps,” he told reporters, framing the decision as a precaution.
Even so, the clock is not on Madrid’s side. According to Mundo Deportivo, the problem is not considered serious, but the turnaround before midweek action is tight. The recent World Cup winner now has only a few days to prove he is ready before Madrid step back into the European spotlight.
Injury list grows at the worst possible time
Cucurella’s issue arrives on top of a mounting absentee list that is already stretching Mourinho’s squad.
- Aurelien Tchouameni
- Eder Militao
- Rodrygo
- Ferland Mendy
- Endrick
The staff still hold out hope that Tchouameni or Rodrygo might recover in time to play some part, but neither is guaranteed.
The problems do not stop with injuries. Arda Guler, Bernardo Silva, and Eduardo Camavinga are all suspended, stripping Mourinho of key options in midfield and attack. Across several positions, his resources are thinning just as the season begins to demand depth and versatility.
High-stakes Inter clash on the horizon
Madrid are due back on the training pitch on Sunday, with preparations beginning in earnest for their Champions League opener. Inter Milan arrive on Tuesday, and what might have been a statement-stage curtain-raiser has turned into something more fraught.
After suffering their first domestic loss, Madrid cannot afford to drift into Europe uncertain and flat. A strong result against Inter, a club steeped in European pedigree, now feels essential rather than desirable.
Mourinho will track Cucurella’s condition closely over the next sessions before deciding his squad. If the left-back does not make it, Carreras is ready to step back into the starting XI for a night that already feels pivotal in shaping Madrid’s early-season narrative.
