Real Madrid have sent UEFA their list of players registered for the Champions League, and Ferland Mendy’s name was not on it.
Marca report that the French left-back missed out on Los Blancos’ list to make room for new signing Sergio Martínez.
Handing the recent Racing arrival a place could solve a problem for Real Madrid before their opening game in Europe’s premier club competition, set for next Tuesday against visitors Inter Milan.
Mourinho cannot call on Arda Güler, Camavinga or Bernardo Silva for that match, with all three suspended. The state of emergency deepens over Tchouaméni’s fitness. He has featured in no squad all season, missed every warm-up game, and remains sidelined by a mysterious muscle injury. Doubts hang over Thiago Pitarch too.
Sergio Martínez could therefore make his Champions League debut just five days after his first squad call-up as a Real Madrid player. Real signed him from Racing to bolster Castilla, but he trained this week under Mourinho and impressed both the coach and the first-team players.
Mendy stepped out onto the pitch at Valdebebas around two weeks ago, though only within the club, and his long injury history has left Real cautious about any timeline for his comeback. The most optimistic forecasts had pencilled in a September or October return, after he went under the knife following a tear in the rectus femoris tendon in his right leg.
Marc Cucurella’s arrival, coupled with Fran García’s departure, gives Real Madrid two options at left-back beyond Carreras. That matters all the more while doubts persist over whether Mendy can return to full fitness after surgery.
Eight players from List B feature on the list Real Madrid sent to UEFA. They are Fortea, Juan Martínez and Mario Rivas in defence, Thiago, Sistero, Lacoste and Valero in midfield, and Yáñez in attack.
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