Real Madrid midfield shortage leaves Mourinho weighing emergency solutions

Jose Mourinho is facing a serious midfield shortage before Real Madrid’s eagerly anticipated Champions League meeting with Inter, with the manager potentially forced to devise unconventional solutions for the match.

According to Spanish newspaper AS, Bernardo Silva, Arda Guler and Eduardo Camavinga will all miss the game through suspension. Aurelien Tchouameni is also unavailable as he continues to recover from injury.

The situation leaves Mourinho with only Federico Valverde currently fit and available as a recognised central midfielder. The Portuguese coach may therefore have to alter Real Madrid’s shape or use players in roles that are not considered their natural positions.

Jude Bellingham is understood to be one of the main options being considered. Mourinho generally prefers to position the England international behind the striker and close to the penalty area, where his ability to score goals can have the greatest impact.

However, the midfield absences could make a return to a deeper role a logical choice for Bellingham. One possible solution would see Brahim Diaz operate as the attacking midfielder, allowing Real Madrid to retain their familiar 4-2-3-1 formation.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is another candidate to move into midfield. Mourinho has previously used the England international in roles that give him freedom to move inside from the flank and influence the game centrally.

One alternative would be to switch to a 4-3-3 formation, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Valverde and Bellingham forming the midfield three. In that arrangement, Trent would start on the right side of midfield, Bellingham would operate on the left and Valverde would be deployed in the centre.

AS also identified Dean Huijsen as a more adventurous possibility. The defender is considered to possess considerable quality in possession, while Jorge Cestero represents another option from the club’s academy.

Cestero’s inclusion would be particularly relevant because Tiago Pitarch remains injured and Manuel Angel has left the club to join Fulham.

Mourinho is familiar with Huijsen’s ability. The manager previously asked for the player to be brought to Roma on loan when Huijsen was at Juventus. The Spanish-Dutch defender also began his youth career as a striker before later moving into central defence.

Using Huijsen in midfield could give Real Madrid greater quality when keeping possession and building attacks from deeper positions. However, the change could also affect the team’s ability to play the ball out from the back, particularly if Antonio Rudiger and Ibrahima Konate are selected as the central defensive pairing.

Mourinho must therefore weigh the benefits of adding another technically capable player to midfield against the potential disruption to Real Madrid’s defensive structure. With Silva, Guler and Camavinga suspended, Tchouameni injured, Pitarch unavailable and Manuel Angel having departed, the manager’s options are unusually limited before the meeting with Inter.

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