Mourinho short at the back, Real Madrid at the limit v Villarreal | OneFootball

Real Madrid are still waiting for their internationals to return, but José Mourinho is already facing a major defensive dilemma ahead of the clash with Villarreal. With eight days to go before the match, the Portuguese coach has just one available first-team center-back.

The situation has been complicated by injuries, suspensions, and the recent absence of Raúl Asencio, leaving Mourinho with very few options to put together his back line for Matchday 8 of LaLiga.

Rüdiger, the only available center-back

For now, Antonio Rüdiger is the only center-back available to Mourinho.

Ibrahima Konaté is sidelined with a collateral ligament issue in his right leg, while Éder Militão, although he has recovered and returned to training on the pitch, is still not expected to be fit for the match against Villarreal.

Raúl Asencio was added to that list after undergoing surgery this Thursday following a stress fracture in his right tibia. The defender even received a visit from Mourinho in the hospital.

As if that were not enough, Dean Huijsen will have to serve a one-match suspension.

Tchouaméni emerges as a solution

Given this situation, Mourinho will have to turn to players who usually play in other positions.

One of the main alternatives is Aurélien Tchouaméni, who has already filled in as a center-back on several occasions. The Frenchman could partner Rüdiger if the other center-backs are unable to make themselves available.

Another possibility would be to reshape the setup even further and use Federico Valverde in that area, although the Uruguayan is still recovering from the grade 3 sprain he suffered in his left ankle.

The coach is working with a reduced group

While the internationals remain away with their respective national teams, Mourinho has spent the week working with a reduced group of players.

At Friday’s training session were, among others, Militão, Álvaro Carreras, Rüdiger and Tchouaméni, along with goalkeepers Thibaut Courtois and Andrey Lunin and several academy players.

The Portuguese coach will still have to wait for the selected players to return before knowing more precisely which squad he will have available to prepare for the match.

The injury list is also affecting Madrid

The defense is not the only area affected. Rodrygo and Ferland Mendy are still continuing their respective recovery processes, while Valverde was also unable to feature for Uruguay during this international break.

In addition, during the international break, the injuries to Konaté and Kylian Mbappé were confirmed, with Mbappé suffering hyperextension of the posterior capsule in his left knee.

Real Madrid will return to action on October 10 against Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu, in a match in which Mourinho could be forced to improvise in defense if he does not get enough players back in time.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.