Jose Mourinho, Manager of Real Madrid
Jose Mourinho, Manager of Real Madrid
It is only September, and Real Madrid are already on the verge of a defensive crisis with injuries hitting key names.
Eder Militao has been out of action for a long time now, and while his return is close, it is a long way before he emerges as a regular name in the starting lineup.
Ibrahima Konate, who arrived in the summer to add depth at centre-back, meanwhile, was injured during the international break and there is a grey area around when he will return in full capacity.
A third blow recently hit Los Blancos as Raul Asencio was confirmed to have undergone surgery, ruling him out in the medium term as well. Needless to say, the department suddenly appears fragile.
Three academy standouts
Joan Martínez of Real Madrid
Joan Martinez is a top talent. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
Jose Mourinho has not particularly shown any interest in promoting homegrown academy stars so far this season, but Defensa Central bring to light that he is now seriously considering that route at centre-back.
The manager has three players as his backup resources in the department – Diego Aguado, Joan Martinez and Oscar Naasei.
The former two players have already been monitored closely by the management in pre-season and have been considered top defensive prospects for a long time now.
Naasei, meanwhile, only arrived in the summer and has stood out with his quality.
With Mourinho looking towards them as realistic options for the first time, they could well earn call-ups and minutes in the coming months, especially if Los Blancos are hit with any further setbacks. His faith in the players, after all, is complete.
The vicious cycle
Jose Mourinho, Manager of Real Madrid
Mourinho must have patience with the youngsters. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Naasei, Martinez and Aguado are all highly rated young prospects who have sparked interest from several first-division teams. Yet, they continue to be at Real Madrid only because they deeply desire to make it big at the club.
The current situation, in that sense, marks a special opportunity for all three youngsters as it is the closest they have been to earning minutes under Mourinho. Yet, they stare at a difficult vicious cycle that they must break free from.
As standouts of the Castilla side, there is no doubt that they have the potential to make it massive at the elite level. To do so, however, they require the first-team manager to trust them and back them at their lows.
To earn that same trust, however, they have to show the manager their potential, which again brings their situation to square one.
Patience, in that sense, is the key ingredient in enabling a young prospect to become an elite name. If Mourinho opts to hand one of the three their chance, he must thus stay patient and give them an adaptation window.
Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid
Real Madrid ace Kylian Mbappe escaped with a minor injury in France’s first game of the international break and was relieved from national team duty immediately by the manager Zinedine Zidane.
The current diagnosis is of a posterior capsule hyperextension of the left knee, and his recovery time is estimated to be in weeks.
Yet, it could well have been much worse and it is said that the player may well have required surgery if he had played longer.
Currently, the player continues to be in France and has not returned to Madrid.
He has been spotted with his friends and his partner, and it has unsurprisingly led to a lot of speculation on why he is on vacation when he should be working on his return.
Mourinho has backed Mbappe’s time off. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
As confirmed by AS in a recent update, however, Mbappe’s trip to his country and the time he is enjoying off with his partner and friends is not secretive. In fact, the club completely backed his vacation.
Jose Mourinho is aware of the player taking some time off in France, as are the coaching staff and the medical team of the club.
They all understand that Mbappe’s setback only requires rest and that the player returning to the Valdebebas may serve no real purpose.
His recovery plan, in that sense, is said to be ‘co-ordinated’ and ‘consensual’ as they describe it in the club offices.
The idea is that he will take his recovery slow and pace it out, likely even missing the team’s first game after the break.
Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid player
Having Mbappe fit for the Clasico is the priority. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
Real Madrid’s first game after the break is against Villarreal, and Mourinho and Co. prioritise the player being available in the long run over him being fit for the game against the Yellow Submarines.
The goal, quite clearly, is to have Mbappe fit and raring for the game against Barcelona later in October and the management considers his presence on that night to be fundamental.
So far, the Frenchman has been Real Madrid’s top finishing presence in the opposition box and has carried Real Madrid’s attack alongside Jude Bellingham.
The sensible idea, in that sense, would be to keep him fit and ready for the big games against Roma, Barcelona and RB Leipzig.