Jose Mourinho returns to AS Roma tomorrow night, for the very first time as an opponent. Mourinho led Roma to UEFA Conference League glory in 2021/22, but his time there was already through by 2024. And between that gig, and his current one, Mourinho had not one, but two other jobs (Benfica and Fenerbahce). It just shows you how well traveled he really is. Mourinho has already announced the Madrid travel squad for this match, and there are four injury absentees: Éder Militão, Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy, and Raúl Asencio.
UEFA Champions League
Real Madrid at AS Roma
Kickoff: Wed. Oct 13, 8pm, Stadio Olimpco, Rome, Italy
UCL Standing, Form: Real Madrid 13th, 3 pts, W AS Roma 17th, 1 pt, D
Google’s Result Probability: Real Madrid win 49% Draw 24% AS Roma win 27%
Real Madrid Team News
Militao is back in training, having recovered from surgery to repair a ruptured tendon in his hamstring/thigh muscle. And despite his involvement in training, Mourinho is bringing him along slowly and carefully. That’s understandable, given the seriousness of Militao’s injury.
Mendy, like Militao, also suffered a thigh tendon injury that required surgical repair. He’s returned to partial training, but his return will also be managed conservatively.
Mendy is probably about three to four weeks away from featuring again while Militao is about a week or two away. Rodrygo and Ascencio remain sidelined until 2027.
Real Madrid Predicted Starting XI
Thibaut Courtois; Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, Antonio Rudiger, Alvaro Carreras; Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva; Arda Guler, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior; Kylian Mbappe
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.