New Delhi, July 31 -- Every morning this week, Raul Asencio arrived at Valdebebas knowing he was not part of Jose Mourinho's plans. The 23-year-old La Fabrica graduate had been told, clearly, that his future at Real Madrid was elsewhere. Then, on Wednesday, the conversation became irrelevant. Not because a deal materialized, but because his right thigh did.

approximately six weeks. That puts his return to fitness in mid-September, after the summer transfer window has already closed.

The timing is not merely inconvenient. It is decisive. Clubs do not absorb the cost of injured players mid-window unless the conditions are exceptional. Asencio's situation, as a fringe player known to be available and locked in a standoff with his own manag...