Real Madrid defender Ibrahima Konaté will not recover in time for next weekend’s match against Villarreal, the first game after the FIFA break. Konaté suffered a knee sprain during France’s training camp and while he escaped a major injury and he could be ready for El Clásico later this month, he will need some more time to properly recover from that physical problem.
With Dean Huijsen also unavailable due to the red card he saw against Atlético de Madrid, Antonio Rüdiger will be Real Madrid’s only center-back ready to face Villarreal. In that context, Tchouameni will be expected to play alongside him, although Mourinho could also start Dumfries, Carreras or a Castilla player like Joan Martínez.
Martínez played at a very high level during this summer’s preseason games, but Villarreal are a tough opponent and Real Madrid will likely rely on a more experienced player like Tchouameni for that role.