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Real Madrid center back Raúl Asencio is set to miss a second straight game after being diagnosed with a digestive infection that required a hospital visit for medical evaluation.
Asencio had already been struggling to hold down a starting spot due to head and calf injuries sustained in March, but his complete absence from the squad — including the bench — during Los Blancos' Champions League elimination at the hands of Bayern Munich on Wednesday raised eyebrows with no initial explanation provided.
Real Madrid have since confirmed the player is suffering from bacterial enterocolitis, a condition involving inflammation of both the small and large intestines. The illness is most commonly seen in young children or individuals with weakened immune systems.
The club stated that Asencio is recovering at home, though an earlier report from El Partizado de COPE indicated that a dramatic drop in weight — six kilograms (over 13 pounds) in just two weeks — had prompted a brief hospital stay to determine the cause of his deteriorating condition.
Raúl Asencio Recovery Timeline
Asencio was not part of the traveling squad to Munich, where Real Madrid's Champions League campaign came to an end this season. The club had no fixture this past weekend, but the Spaniard is not expected to be fit in time to feature against Alavés on Tuesday.
The optimistic scenario is that Asencio returns to full fitness before Los Blancos' clash with Real Betis on Friday.
What makes the situation more worrying is that Asencio had already been sidelined late in November with a comparable gastrointestinal illness. He has also missed additional games due to separate bouts of fever and flu throughout the season.
In the immediate term, Real Madrid have solid cover at the back, particularly following Éder Militão's recent comeback from an extended injury absence. Against Bayern, Militão and Antonio Rüdiger formed the central defensive partnership, with Dean Huijsen and David Alaba available as backup from the bench.
Asencio's absence went largely unnoticed in Munich, where he would arguably have been the fifth-choice center back with a fully fit squad. That said, defensive reliability has been a persistent issue for Real Madrid in recent seasons, and midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni was even deployed at center back during the Spanish Super Cup final.
Real Madrid Facing Tough Recruitment Decisions
The defensive unit could look significantly different as early as next season. Both Rüdiger and Alaba see their contracts expire this June, and the prospect of either 33-year-old being offered new deals appears slim.
Beyond his health concerns, questions have also emerged this season over whether Asencio truly has what it takes to be a long-term fixture in the Real Madrid squad.
However, with Huijsen still developing and Militão prone to injury, releasing too many players at once could place an enormous burden on the club's recruitment team ahead of next season. Top-quality center backs command hefty fees — even securing a prospect like Huijsen last summer came at a cost of nearly $70 million.
Add to that the fact that the midfield remains thin following the failure to replace both Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić in back-to-back summers, and with a new winger also on the wish list, some difficult decisions over transfer priorities lie ahead.