Real Madrid’s Aurélien Tchouaméni ruled out against Real Sociedad due to muscle strain

Aurélien Tchouaméni will not feature when Real Madrid host Real Sociedad on August 26, ruled out with a muscle strain in his left thigh. The injury affects the semitendinosus, one of the three hamstring muscles, and it comes at possibly the worst time for a Madrid squad already stretched thin by a brutal post-World Cup schedule.

This is supposed to be a celebration. The Real Sociedad fixture marks Madrid’s first home game at the Santiago Bernabéu for the new 2026-27 La Liga campaign. Instead, José Mourinho’s squad sheet reads more like a hospital discharge summary.

Madrid’s injury crisis deepens

Tchouaméni was already held out of Madrid’s previous match against Espanyol as a precaution, even though he had shown some progress in training. Madrid won that one 2-1, but the Frenchman’s absence was conspicuous.

That caution makes sense when you look at who else is missing. Endrick is dealing with his own muscle issue. Eder Militao remains a long-term absentee. Rodrygo is out with a knee problem. Asencio and Mendy are also unavailable.

Tchouaméni’s role in this Madrid side is the kind that only becomes obvious when he’s not there. The 26-year-old operates as the team’s defensive midfield anchor, the player who intercepts passes, recycles possession, and allows the galaxy of attacking talent around him to do their thing without worrying about what happens when they lose the ball.

World Cup hangover hits hard

Tchouaméni reportedly dealt with muscle issues during the World Cup itself, which makes his current setback look less like bad luck and more like an inevitable consequence of the modern football calendar.

The La Liga match against Real Sociedad was itself originally postponed due to the World Cup schedule, a logistical reshuffling that underscores just how much the tournament’s footprint warped the start of the domestic season.

What to watch on matchday

Real Sociedad will travel to the Bernabéu looking to bounce back from a disappointing opening-day result. They lost 1-0 to Real Betis in their first match of the season.

For Tchouaméni personally, the priority has to be a complete recovery rather than a rushed return. The semitendinosus muscle, when aggravated, has a tendency to flare up repeatedly if not given proper healing time. Madrid’s medical staff appears to understand this, given that they held him out of the Espanyol match even when partial training suggested he might be available.

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