Why Brahim isn't playing, the reason for his Real Madrid absence | OneFootball

Brahim Díaz delivered one of his best performances of the season against Inter, but since then his role at Real Madrid has been significantly reduced. The reason, however, would not be sporting. The attacking midfielder has been dealing with serious muscle discomfort and is playing whenever he can, even pushing himself to remain available for the team.

The situation explains the striking contrast of recent matchdays. After assisting Kylian Mbappé for the opening goal against Inter and producing a spectacular move that ended with Jude Bellingham having the third goal at his feet, Brahim has played only 22 minutes in the last three matches.

He did not play against Rayo Vallecano, came on in the 68th minute against Elche, and remained on the bench for the entire derby against Atlético de Madrid.

His discomfort explains his inconsistency

Brahim’s absence raised questions among Real Madrid fans, especially after his display against Inter. However, according to information from AS, the player has been dealing with muscle discomfort for several matches and it has not gone away.

The issue has not prevented him from being available, but it has affected his involvement. Brahim has decided to keep helping the team despite the discomfort, aware of how important it is to remain available during the early stages of José Mourinho’s project.

The Portuguese coach, moreover, is aware of the effort the player is making.

For that reason, the attacking midfielder has only managed to play in two consecutive matches once this season, against Real Sociedad and Málaga. So far he has totaled 178 minutes, a striking figure for a player in whom Mourinho has complete confidence.

Against Inter he showed everything he can offer

The discomfort did not stop Brahim from putting in an outstanding performance against the Italian side.

The Spaniard played a key role in the opening goal with his assist for Mbappé and later produced a spectacular individual move that tore apart Inter’s defense before laying the ball off to Bellingham.

He also finished as the player who created the most chances, with four—three of them clear-cut, and led the team in successful passes in the final third, with 15. He completed both of the dribbles he attempted, won five of nine duels, and reached a top speed close to 32 km/h.

He also ended the match with 93% passing accuracy.

A performance that explains why Mourinho continues to trust him despite his limited continuity.

Brahim never considered leaving Madrid

The competition has not changed the player’s stance either.

During the summer, Real Madrid signed Diomande for a fee of 125 million euros, while Mourinho also believes Arda Güler has attributes closer to an attacking midfielder than a central midfielder. Endrick, meanwhile, can also play on the right flank.

Despite that scenario, Brahim never considered leaving Real Madrid, nor did he receive any message from the club that he needed to look for a way out.

His response has been to keep working and make the most of every opportunity.

Even during preseason he had already shown glimpses of his quality with a brilliant goal against Deportivo de La Coruña in the Teresa Herrera, after controlling a long ball from Lunin, carrying it forward, and finishing with class.

Now, the aim is to fully recover his physical condition. His lack of minutes is not down to a loss of Mourinho’s trust, but to muscle discomfort that Brahim is trying to overcome without stopping helping the team.

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