Real Madrid Faces Midfield Crisis Ahead of Inter Milan Clash

Real Madrid’s Champions League campaign will start with a sizeable handicap in the middle of the pitch.

As the League Phase kicks off on Tuesday night at the Bernabéu, the Spanish giants must do without three of their most gifted midfielders – not because of injury, but because of suspensions carried over from last season’s European run.

Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler and Bernardo Silva are all banned for the clash with Serie A champions Inter Milan after being shown red cards in their final European appearances of the 2025/26 campaign. All three are ruled out, leaving a glaring hole in José Mourinho’s options for one of the toughest fixtures of the opening round.

And that is only half the problem.

Mourinho already walks into this heavyweight tie with an injury list that strips away key pieces from his starting XI. Rodrygo, Éder Militão and Ferland Mendy remain unavailable, cutting into Real’s depth at both ends of the pitch and forcing a rethink in how they approach Inter’s visit.

The spotlight now swings firmly onto those who are left. With Camavinga’s energy, Güler’s creativity and Bernardo’s control all missing, Real lose three very different profiles in one hit. It changes the rhythm of their midfield, the way they build attacks, even how they press.

Inter arrive as reigning Scudetto holders, battle-hardened and confident, facing a Real Madrid side still loaded with talent but stripped of some of its sharpest tools. For Mourinho, it is an early test of his ability to improvise on Europe’s biggest stage.

The Champions League journey starts under a cloud of absences. How quickly Real adapt without their suspended trio may tell us plenty about how far they can go this season.