Mendy was hauled off after just 14 minutes of Real Madrid’s 2-0 win against Espanyol, a result that delayed Barcelona’s La Liga title party for at least another week.
In an official statement, the club revealed: “Following tests carried out today on our player Ferland Mendy… he has been diagnosed with a rectus femoris tendon injury in his right leg.”
The 30-year-old is expected to go under the knife in the coming hours, with club officials confirming the surgery will address the tendon damage sustained in the early stages of the Espanyol match.
Since arriving from Lyon in 2019, Mendy has endured a staggering 16 separate injury issues, making him one of the most injury-prone players in the squad.
The news is another bitter pill for the defender on the international front
At 30 (turning 31 in June), the France international is now facing surgery and several months on the sidelines, marking what sources describe as at least his 16th injury since joining Real Madrid from Lyon in 2019.
This pattern of muscular woes has turned a player known for his defensive solidity and athleticism into one of the most injury-prone stars at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Data from Transfermarkt paints a stark picture of consistency in absence.
He has spent well over 700 days sidelined in total, with some estimates reaching 747 days when including every recorded absence.
The 2024/25 campaign was equally brutal: four injuries accounting for 142 days and 22 games missed, including two lengthy muscle issues in March-April and a major quad tendon rupture in late April 2025 that required surgery and kept him out until October.
Earlier seasons tell a similar story — five injuries in 2021/22 (86 days, 18 games), two in 2022/23 (94 days, 25 games), and recurring thigh, hamstring, calf, and adductor problems stretching back to his debut season.
Even pre-Madrid at Lyon, the trend was evident with ankle, groin, and thigh issues, but the frequency has escalated dramatically in Spain.
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