Málaga CF will travel to face Real Madrid this Sunday with five players ruled out due to injury. According to a report from La Opinión de Málaga, goalkeeper Aaron Ochoa, Adrián Niño, Calero, Moussa, and Murillo are all unavailable for the match at the Santiago Bernabéu against José Mourinho's side. Juanfran Funes's squad returned to training at La Rosaleda on Thursday without any positive news regarding recoveries.
The most serious situation involves goalkeeper Aaron Ochoa, who is likely to require surgery to address a meniscus issue. The club has not yet issued official confirmation, but the various medical opinions consulted point towards an operation as the recommended course of action. This would mean an absence of around two to three months, a timeframe that forces the board to evaluate options in the final days of the transfer market.
Who could return soon?
Of the five unavailable players, Adrián Niño is the one with a chance of returning in a shorter period. The player is dealing with a muscular issue in his soleus, and his progress will be key for the coming weeks. The other absentees, including Calero, Moussa, and Murillo, continue with their specific recovery processes without a clear return date.
This accumulation of physical problems comes at a tricky point in the schedule. Málaga CF currently occupies fourteenth place in the LaLiga Hypermotion standings, according to our standings data. The team has gathered seven points from its first five matches of the season, with two wins, one draw, and two losses. The full squad and detailed numbers are available on our squad page.
How does this affect the transfer market?
The probable long-term absence of Ochoa, added to the other injuries, puts pressure on sporting planning in the final stretch of the market. The club must decide whether to seek external reinforcements or trust internal options to cover these absences. The goalkeeper is an important piece, having played 32 matches last season, according to our stats archive.
The team will train again this Friday at the La Rosaleda facilities starting at 9:15 am, in the final session before traveling to the capital. The match at the Bernabéu is scheduled for Sunday at 5:00 pm, marking Málaga's sixth league fixture of the season. The complete season schedule can be checked at fixtures.
Who are the alternatives in goal?
With Ochoa out, responsibility in goal falls to the other goalkeepers in the first-team squad. The roster has other options to cover the position during the starter's recovery period. The final decision on the lineup and substitutes will belong to Juanfran Funes and his coaching staff, who will assess the fitness of the entire group in the pre-match training sessions.
Málaga CF thus faces one of the season's toughest challenges with a depleted squad. The next fixture after the Madrid clash will be the reception of Elche CF at La Rosaleda the following weekend, on September 13th.
