Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is facing a major shortage of centre-backs before Saturday’s visit of Villarreal to the Santiago Bernabeu.
The match is scheduled to begin at 21:00 Central European Time, but Mourinho currently has only one fully fit senior central defender available for the meeting with the Yellow Submarine: Antonio Rudiger.
According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Dean Huijsen will miss the game through suspension, while Raul Asencio is unavailable because of injury. The situation has revived a long-standing problem for Real Madrid, who have repeatedly found themselves short of options in central defence at a decisive stage of the season.
The club has attempted to address the position in recent seasons by signing Ibrahima Konate and Huijsen, while also promoting Asencio to the first team. Despite those measures, the same difficulty has returned, leaving Mourinho with limited choices ahead of the Villarreal fixture.
Fitness doubts over Konate and Militao
Real Madrid’s remaining hope rests partly on players returning from injury, although neither provides a straightforward solution.
Konate could be available, but the France international is still behind schedule in his recovery from a knee injury. Eder Militao is also nearing a return after an absence of more than six months, yet selecting the Brazil defender against Villarreal would still carry considerable risk.
That leaves Mourinho considering makeshift options in the centre of defence. One possibility is to turn to players from the academy, including Mario Rivas and Juan Martinez, and hand them a role in the senior side.
Another is to move Aurelien Tchouameni into the deeper central-defensive position. The France international has filled that role on previous occasions and could provide Mourinho with a more experienced alternative if the manager decides not to select one of the academy players.
Whatever decision Mourinho makes, Real Madrid are once again dealing with the defensive shortage that has troubled them over a prolonged period. The club’s recruitment and promotion of young players have not prevented the problem from resurfacing before one of the season’s key moments.