Raúl Asencio to undergo surgery for tibia stress fracture

Real Madrid defender Raúl Asencio is set to undergo surgery on Thursday to treat a stress fracture in his right tibia. The 23-year-old center-back has been struggling with persistent pain in the area since the previous season, and medical staff determined that conservative treatment was no longer sufficient.

The club expects Asencio to be sidelined for a period of two to four months, which could delay his return to competitive action until early 2027. This injury is a significant setback for the player, who has yet to make a competitive appearance for the first team this season.

The loss adds to the defensive challenges facing manager José Mourinho. With other players like Éder Militão recovering from injury and Dean Huijsen serving a suspension, the squad's defensive rotation is severely limited. Mourinho may consider utilizing Aurélien Tchouaméni in a central defensive role to manage the upcoming fixture against Villarreal.