Real Madrid Faces Depleted Squad Ahead of Deportivo Trip

Real Madrid’s pre-season has barely begun to clear its throat, and already José Mourinho is dealing with a chorus of absentees.

With the 2026/27 La Liga campaign less than a fortnight away, Madrid have named their travelling squad for Wednesday night’s meeting with Deportivo La Coruña – and the list of players not making the trip is almost as eye-catching as those who are.

A tune‑up with half the orchestra missing

Mourinho has spent the past weeks driving his squad through a demanding summer schedule, determined to close the gap on Barcelona in the title race. Friendly dates with Fiorentina and Ferencváros have already given him an early look at his options and his problems.

Deportivo, newly returned to La Liga, provide the next test. On paper, it’s a pre-season workout. In reality, it’s a sharp reminder of how fragile a squad can look before a ball is kicked in anger.

Madrid announced their matchday group on Tuesday. The omissions jumped off the page.

Eleven first‑team players will not be available, ruled out by a mix of injuries and insufficient match fitness. For a manager who thrives on control and detail, that is a significant handicap, even in July and August.

Star power on the sidelines

The absentees read like the core of a title-chasing spine.

• Kylian Mbappé will not feature.
• Neither will Jude Bellingham.
• Thibaut Courtois, the club’s long-time last line of resistance, is also out of the travelling party.

They are joined on the unavailable list by Rodrygo, Marc Cucurella, Ferland Mendy, Éder Militão, Ibrahima Konaté, Yan Diomandé, Raúl Asencio and Thiago Pitarch.

That is an entire framework of experience, creativity and defensive authority removed in one sweep. It forces Mourinho to look deeper into his squad, to lean on players who might otherwise have expected only cameos at this stage.

For some, that is a problem. For others, it is an opening.

Mourinho’s early-season puzzle

Pre-season is where managers experiment, but this is more than a tactical laboratory. With so many senior names missing, Mourinho must accelerate the integration of fringe players and emerging talents, test partnerships that may be needed when the real pressure arrives, and do it all while trying to build rhythm and confidence.

Deportivo, fresh from celebrating their return to the top flight, will sense opportunity. Even in a friendly, the chance to bloody a heavyweight nose is never unwelcome.

For Madrid, the game in La Coruña becomes something else: a stress test of depth, structure and mentality before the curtain rises on a season in which anything less than a genuine title push will feel like failure.