Florentino Pérez points to last season’s injury grind - what it tells us about Real Madrid now

Florentino Pérez has put words to what every player felt last season at Real Madrid: the squad was stretched thin by injuries to pillars like Carvajal, Militao, Camavinga, Mendy, and Ceballos, yet the team still fought deep in every competition. As someone who has lived through packed calendars, I know how quickly rhythm turns to risk when key minutes pile up. Fans praised the resilience but questioned the winter window silence. The core question now is simple: can Madrid manage minutes smarter, keep the defense healthy, and avoid another attrition war when the schedule tightens again?

In a recent club address in Madrid, president Florentino Pérez reflected on the previous campaign, noting long spells without Dani Carvajal and Éder Militao and extended absences for Dani Ceballos, Eduardo Camavinga, and Ferland Mendy. His remarks acknowledged the strain of a season that demanded peak performance across league and Europe while navigating recurring injuries and a dense match calendar.

🗣 Florentino Pérez: "Last season we competed until the very end in every competition. It was tough, with serious injuries, we couldn't count on Carvajal or Militao for almost the entire season. Or Ceballos, Camavinga, and Mendy, who we lost for a good part of the season.

@MadridXtra

Impact Analysis

I played through seasons where the treatment room felt as busy as the dressing room, and Pérez’s comments track with what we saw on the pitch. Real Madrid lived on tactical adaptability and sheer resilience. Without Militao for most of the year, the back line altered its risk profile - less aggressive field tilt, more controlled rest defense, and extra emphasis on first pass security from deep. Carvajal’s long stretch out removed a vertical outlet that normally flips pressure into advantage.

In midfield, losing Camavinga for chunks reshaped the pressing triggers. He is the accelerator - wins the first duel, carries five meters, and suddenly the block breathes. Without him, Madrid leaned into possession restarts and shifted more responsibility onto Valverde and Tchouameni to cover wider lanes. Mendy’s absence affected duels at the back post and the exit under pressure on the left. Ceballos, meanwhile, is the metronome that buys the stars half a second - you miss that when legs get heavy in month eight.

The larger impact was cumulative. With a two-game-per-week rhythm, the team’s load management had little air. Rotation helped, but the winter window stasis kept the minutes clustered around the same core. That is the difference between being fresh for the last three ties in Europe and hanging on. Madrid survived it with experience and game state mastery. But the lesson is clear - a deep bench only counts if it is trusted, and availability determines your tactical ceiling in May.

Reaction

Reading the pulse from fans, I hear three threads. First, respect. Even rivals admit Madrid’s ability to compete through injuries is, frankly, infuriating if you are on the other side. Comments like it was a trying time and yet they stayed competitive echo what we saw. Second, frustration at the winter window. Supporters kept asking why the club did not reinforce when the injury list grew. That sentiment keeps surfacing because it felt like the squad was one reliable defender short when the calendar bit hardest.

Third, the Carlo debate. Some back him fully, saying people underrate the job he did. Others toss in the what ifs, even drawing contrasts with Xabi in a hypothetical scenario. As a former pro, I side with the group that credits the staff - managing rotations while maintaining results is harder than fans think. Fitness and depth have become the real trophy race, and several fans nailed that. You cannot win anything in spring if you have already spent your legs in winter.

Social reactions

Pérez’s statement highlights Real Madrid’s resilience despite serious injuries and a punishing schedule, the team competed at a high level across all competitions.

Maxwell O (@Areyoucapable)

Florentino Pérez’s comments highlight the incredible challenges Real Madrid faced last season, emphasizing the impact of injuries to key players. Despite these setbacks and a grueling schedule, he underscores the team’s resilience and ability to compete at the highest level

Maxwell O (@Areyoucapable)

Yet still, people still complain that Carlo is wasted. I tell you, for fact that Xabi couldn't handle it if it was him

Pes Footy ♧ (@Pes_footy)

Prediction

Looking ahead, I expect Madrid to be more ruthless with minutes. Five-sub rules should be used early, not as emergencies. If Militao and Carvajal sustain a clean run, the defensive line can step higher, which reduces repeated long recovery sprints that cause soft-tissue problems. Camavinga’s availability shifts the entire midfield geometry - pressing triggers return, transitions shorten, and the back four faces fewer wave attacks.

I also expect earlier use of the bench in league games that tilt Madrid’s way by the hour mark. Banking 15-20 minutes per match for starters becomes 600-800 minutes saved by spring. That is a tie in Europe. In January, if the medical report hints at recurring risk on the flanks, do not be shocked if the club explores a short-term depth option at fullback. Data will drive this - acceleration exposures after travel weeks are where injuries hide.

Most importantly, the message from Pérez sets the tone. Acknowledge the past strain, protect the present, and hit April with legs to spare. If availability trends upward, Madrid’s ceiling rises with it.

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Conclusion

When the president talks openly about injuries, it is not an excuse. It is a reminder that availability is a competitive skill. Last season, Madrid won moments by managing game states better than opponents, but they paid for it with a squad stretched thin. I have been in that dressing room feeling - a tug in the calf on a cold night and you know you are two weeks out. The smartest teams prevent that moment with rotation, not treatment.

This group has the character to absorb tough runs. What decides the next climb is simple: healthier defenders, Camavinga’s continuity, and a braver rotation hand in routine league fixtures. If the bench becomes a habit, not a last resort, Madrid arrive in spring with sprint left in the legs. Do that, and Pérez’s reflection turns from cautionary tale into foundation for another charge.