Mourinho has figured it out! Vinicius' clone will sit on the bench
José Mourinho appears ready to make one of the toughest calls of his second spell at Real Madrid.
Details: According to The Athletic, the Portuguese coach is considering leaving Vinicius Junior on the bench for Saturday's LaLiga clash with Villarreal. The most direct candidate to replace the Brazilian on the left wing is 19-year-old Yan Diomande, who has been pushing hard for a bigger role in recent weeks.
Vinicius has struggled to rediscover his best form at the start of the season. The Brazilian has scored only once in Real Madrid's opening eight LaLiga and Champions League matches, while his performances during the international break did little to change the picture. Even Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted that the winger is currently below his best level.
Diomande, meanwhile, gives Mourinho a natural alternative in the same position. The Ivory Coast international prefers the left flank, can cut inside onto his stronger right foot and has also impressed the coaching staff with his willingness to track back and work without the ball. His display against Elche remains his strongest start for Madrid so far.
It is worth noting that Diomande has featured in all eight of Real Madrid's competitive matches this season, although most of those appearances came from the bench. The €125 million summer signing has registered one assist so far.
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Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
