Horror! 4 Real Madrid leaders will miss the Champions League match. What happened?
Real Madrid's Champions League return has turned into a major midfield puzzle for José Mourinho.
Details: According to AS, Federico Valverde is currently the only fit natural first-team midfielder available to Real Madrid for the Champions League opener against Inter. José Mourinho had already publicly warned about the problem, saying that Valverde would practically be the only first-team option in midfield.
The shortage is caused by a combination of suspensions and injuries. Bernardo Silva, Arda Güler and Eduardo Camavinga are all suspended for the meeting with Inter, while Aurélien Tchouaméni remains injured. AS also reports that Thiago Pitarch is unavailable as he continues his recovery from a knee sprain.
That leaves Mourinho searching for emergency solutions around Valverde. AS identifies Jude Bellingham, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jorge Cestero and Dean Huijsen as players who could be used to cover the vacant areas, while a change of system is also being considered. Real Madrid normally operate with a 4-2-3-1, but the lack of natural midfielders could force the Portuguese coach to improvise.
It is worth noting that Real Madrid will host Inter at the Santiago Bernabéu on September 8. The clubs last met competitively in the 2021/22 Champions League group stage, with the Spanish side winning both matches.
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Steven Perez
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