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Real Madrid have left Ferland Mendy off their UEFA Champions League squad for the 2026/27 season, a decision driven by the left-back’s prolonged recovery from a serious thigh tendon injury that required surgery back in May 2026.
The exclusion is notable not just because of who’s missing, but because of who isn’t. Both Éder Militão and Rodrygo, who are also currently sidelined with injuries, were included on the squad list. Mendy, apparently, didn’t make the same calculation.
Why Mendy but not the others
Mendy’s recovery timeline reportedly stretches to at least November 2026, meaning he’d miss a significant chunk of the group stage. Militão and Rodrygo, by contrast, appear to be on shorter return paths, making their inclusion a calculated bet that they’ll contribute at some point during the competition.
The injury that changed Mendy’s season
Mendy’s problems trace back to the tail end of the 2025/26 campaign, when he suffered a tendon rupture in his thigh. The injury was severe enough to require surgical intervention in May 2026, effectively ending his previous season and casting a long shadow over the current one.
The 2026/27 Champions League campaign kicks off next week with a marquee home fixture against Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Contract security, but competitive limbo
Mendy’s contract runs through June 2028, and neither side has shown any inclination to force an exit. If Mendy does return to fitness by November or December, he could still play a role in domestic competitions, as La Liga and the Copa del Rey don’t have the same squad registration constraints.
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