Endrick and Thiago Pitarch close to Real Madrid squad for Inter Milan clash

Real Madrid have received a boost ahead of Tuesday’s home match against Inter Milan in the opening round of the UEFA Champions League league phase, with three players recovering from injury returning to full team training.

Aurelien Tchouameni, Endrick and Thiago Pitarch joined their team-mates in Sunday’s session, according to Arancha Rodriguez of Spanish radio station COPE. The update offers the possibility that Endrick and Pitarch could be included in the squad to face Inter.

Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao, Rodrygo Goes and Raul Asencio, however, continued with their individual recovery and rehabilitation programmes.

The latest developments come after all seven players trained separately in the build-up to Real Madrid’s most recent La Liga fixture against Real Betis. The match ended in a 1-0 defeat for Real Madrid at La Cartuja, increasing the importance of a positive result against Inter in their first European outing of the campaign.

Rodriguez indicated that Endrick and Pitarch have made sufficient progress to be considered for selection, following their return to group work. Their involvement will depend on how they respond to training before manager Jose Mourinho makes his final decisions.

The match with Inter represents an early test for Mourinho’s side, who will be looking to recover from the loss to Real Betis and make a strong start in the competition. Real Madrid will also be aiming to send a message to their main European rivals in the tournament that Paris Saint-Germain have won in each of the past two editions under manager Luis Enrique.

The training update was summarised in Spanish as follows:

“✅Tchouameni, Endrick y Thiago trabajaron con el grupo.❌Mendy, Militao, Rodrygo y Asencio continuan sus procesos de recuperacion.”

Tchouameni’s return provides another option in midfield, while Endrick and Pitarch now have a chance of being involved in the matchday squad if their recoveries continue to progress. Mendy, Militao, Rodrygo and Asencio remain unavailable for consideration while they complete their rehabilitation work.

Real Madrid’s defeat at La Cartuja means the meeting with Inter carries added significance beyond the start of their European campaign. An improved performance and result would allow Mourinho’s team to respond immediately to that setback, while Inter will provide a demanding opponent at the beginning of the league phase.

The club’s next training sessions will determine whether Endrick and Pitarch are able to take the final step from collective training to selection for Tuesday’s fixture.