Real Madrid supporters searching for news on Rodrygo Goes this week want one thing above all: confirmation that he remains part of Carlo Ancelotti’s — sorry, the current squad’s — long-term plans. As of 17 September 2026, that confirmation stands. Rodrygo is still contracted to Real Madrid and continues his rehabilitation programme at Valdebebas, working through the recovery from the serious knee injury that has kept him out of action since March.
September 2026 update: Rodrygo’s recovery progress
Rodrygo remains an active member of the Real Madrid squad, even though he has not featured competitively since the spring. Club staff describe his rehabilitation as on track, with the winger meeting every milestone set out for him since surgery.
Speaking to Spanish newspaper Diario AS, Rodrygo gave fans a personal update on how his knee is responding to treatment. “I’m doing very well,” he told the paper, before expanding on his mindset during a rehabilitation that has already stretched across several months.
“Honestly, things are going really well. I’m happy with my progress, and I feel better every day.”
Those comments echo the tone Rodrygo struck in our July 2026 recovery report, and they suggest steady rather than dramatic progress. There is no suggestion from the club or from Rodrygo himself that his rehabilitation has been accelerated or that a return date has moved forward from what was originally planned.
Rodrygo’s recovery milestone and rehabilitation path
The injury dates back to March 2026, when Real Madrid lost 1-0 to Getafe. Rodrygo suffered a complete rupture of his anterior cruciate ligament along with damage to the lateral meniscus in the same knee, one of the most serious injuries a footballer can sustain.
The timing was brutal for Rodrygo on a personal level. The injury ruled him out of Brazil’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, denying him a place at the tournament during what should have been the peak years of his international career.
Since then, his rehabilitation has followed the standard path for ACL and meniscus repair: surgery, an extended period of controlled movement work, and a gradual build-up towards contact training. Real Madrid’s medical department has not deviated from that plan, and the club continues to work towards a return to action in early 2027, in line with the original prognosis given after his surgery.
Is Rodrygo still in Real Madrid?
Yes. Rodrygo is still a Real Madrid player, currently sidelined through injury rather than any change in his contract or standing at the club. He remains under contract and is rehabilitating at the club’s Valdebebas training complex alongside the medical staff overseeing his recovery.
The confusion around his status is understandable given how long he has been absent from matchday squads, but nothing in his situation points to an exit, a loan, or a change in his relationship with the club. He is simply working his way back from one of the more serious injuries in football, on a timeline the club has been consistent about since March.
What happens next
Barring setbacks, Rodrygo is expected to return to full training and eventually first-team action in early 2027. Real Madrid have not put a firmer date on his comeback, and supporters should treat any reports of an accelerated pitch-based return before that window as unconfirmed rather than an official revision.
In the meantime, life at the Bernabéu continues without him. The club has had to manage its attacking options and squad depth around his absence, part of a wider set of first-team squad changes this year. Financially, Real Madrid are also operating within La Liga’s latest financial limits, a backdrop that shapes how the squad is managed while a player of Rodrygo’s importance remains out injured.
For now, the message from Rodrygo himself, relayed through Diario AS, is one of patience and steady improvement. Real Madrid fans will hope that early 2027 target holds, and that the next update brings him closer to a return to the pitch rather than further delay.
