Mourinho keeps Alexander-Arnold secret as 3 Real Madrid midfielders miss Inter clash | OneFootball

Jose Mourinho decided to keep his cards close to his chest when asked for his potential midfield selections for Real Madrid’s Champions League opener against Inter, following calls for England’s Trent Alexander-Arnold to start amidst a midfield selection crisis.

What Mourinho said about Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid’s midfield selections against Inter

Real Madrid will host Inter at the Bernabeu on Tuesday evening (kicking off at 20.00 BST) in the first round of 2026-27 Champions League league phase fixtures.

SEVILLE, SPAIN – SEPTEMBER 04: Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of Real Madrid talks to his players during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Betis Balompie and Real Madrid at Estadio La Cartuja on September 04, 2026 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

Madrid head coach and former Inter treble winner Mourinho sat down for his customary pre-match press conference on Monday afternoon and fielded questions about his potential selections in midfield.

Madrid will be without summer signing Bernardo Silva plus Edoardo Camavinga and Arda Guler through suspension for Tuesday night’s clash against Inter, but Mourinho was unwilling to give any hints away regarding their potential replacements.

Asked whether Alexander-Arnold might be shifted into the midfield against Inter during his press conference on Monday, Mourinho said: “I’m not going to comment on it. Sorry.

SEVILLE, SPAIN – SEPTEMBER 04: Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of Real Madrid looks on before the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Betis Balompie and Real Madrid at Estadio La Cartuja on September 04, 2026 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

“I could talk and do a lot of rounds. The three [Bernardo, Camavinga, and Güler] won’t be there. The algorithm has decided. The question is obvious; I expected it. But there we are. We have five options, and we can talk about all of them, but in the end I’m not going to say anything.”

Click here to read Mourinho’s pre-match press conference in full.