Real Madrid Handed Another Damning Injury Blow at Problem Position
Bernardo Silva has withdrawn from Portugal duty after being deemed unfit, leaving Real Madrid facing another midfield concern just as José Mourinho’s side had found its rhythm.
The 32-year-old was one of 18 Real Madrid players called up for the final international break of the year. He joined a Portugal squad already reeling from Cristiano Ronaldo’s sudden retirement, before a 4–1 defeat to Denmark made for a bruising start to the November window.
Silva played only 11 minutes off the bench, enough time to score Portugal’s lone goal and apparently sustain an injury.
Less than 24 hours after the match, the Portuguese Football Federation confirmed that Silva had been released from the squad following a medical assessment.
“Bernardo Silva underwent a clinical evaluation and was deemed unfit by the Portuguese Football Federation’s Health and Performance Directorate, and has also been released.”
Silva is heading back to Madrid, where further tests are expected. The statement did not specify the nature of his injury or a recovery timetable, leaving the club waiting to learn whether its newly established midfield conductor faces a spell out.
Mourinho’s midfield loses its balance
Midfield was the major area Madrid left short of reinforcement last summer. The club needed a deep-lying playmaker, but after Barcelona secured Rodri’s signature, its attention shifted toward strengthening the defense and attack.
Silva, a free agent after leaving Manchester City, was the only midfield addition ahead of the 2025–26 campaign. Even then, opportunities were initially limited, despite the repeated difficulties of a double pivot featuring Federico Valverde and Tchouaméni.
Mourinho finally placed his trust in Silva after the September–October international window, and Madrid began producing their best football of the season. The Portuguese midfielder dictated possession, Tchouaméni operated as the anchor and Valverde took charge of the right flank.
Successive Madrid wins in Silva’s last five starts, including a 2–1 victory over Barcelona at Camp Nou.
That run now faces disruption. Tchouaméni has already returned to Madrid with an adductor injury, raising the prospect of Mourinho having to replace both the player who sets the tempo and the midfielder who protects the defense.
With Valverde established as Mourinho’s first-choice right back, the available midfield options suddenly look thin ahead of an important stretch of fixtures.
Who could step in?
Covering for either Silva or Tchouaméni would be manageable. Replacing both would require a more substantial reshuffle. Mourinho has several possible solutions, each with a different consequence for the side’s balance.
- Federico Valverde
- Moving the captain back into his natural midfield position would leave Denzel Dumfries or Trent Alexander-Arnold to cover the right flank. It is a straightforward solution on paper, although Madrid have looked considerably better with Valverde at right back.
- Eduardo Camavinga
- The Frenchman offers another direct midfield option. He is gradually rediscovering his best form after a difficult 2025–26 campaign in which Castilla graduate Thiago Pitarch moved ahead of him.
- Thiago Pitarch
- Pitarch made his season debut in the 3–0 win over Valencia before the break and could receive more minutes if both midfielders face extended absences. He rose quickly under former coach Álvaro Arbeloa, but a preseason injury kept him out of contention until mid-September.
- Arda Güler
- Mourinho could also turn to Güler to take on the creative responsibility. Although the Türkiye international has looked strongest on the right wing, his vision and passing range offer a route into a deeper, more restrained role.
The concern is the timing: Madrid have won eight consecutive matches across all competitions, and Mourinho may now have to alter the composition of a settled XI. An additional midfield signing last summer would have made this potential double absence easier to absorb.
