Mourinho confirms Militao will miss Villarreal match and backs Vinicius Junior

Jose Mourinho says Eder Militao will not play for Real Madrid against Villarreal and is also set to miss the matches against Roma and Sevilla as he continues his recovery from injury.

Federico Valverde remains a doubt, with a decision on his availability to be made on the day before the La Liga fixture.

“Valverde is a doubt, while Militao is not a doubt. He will not be available,” Mourinho said at his pre-match news conference. “Given the way he has been training, we have never worked with only five players. We have always trained with 20.

“We have also worked with academy players. Sometimes Castilla have joined us, sometimes the third team, and on other occasions the youth team has been mixed with players from Castilla and the third team.”

Mourinho said Militao’s injury record meant the Brazil defender would need to be handled carefully, despite making better progress than expected.

“If someone did not know the problems Militao has been dealing with, they would pick him tomorrow,” he said. “I joke with him and ask: ‘Are you going to play?’

“He is doing better than I expected, but he will not be there tomorrow, against Roma or against Sevilla. He needs two weeks because his medical history is very serious and we must be careful.

“Mendy will train on the pitch with us for the first time, while Rodrygo is still a long way from returning. Valverde’s problem was still there today, and we will decide today whether he can play tomorrow.”

The manager also explained how he applies the principle of merit when selecting his team, saying players’ current condition would be considered alongside their reputation.

“Merit, yes, but there also has to be openness – not because of a player’s name, but because of the moment, their current condition and what might be the best way to help a particular player,” Mourinho said.

“When players are not in good shape, there are strategies to improve their level. One of them is pure merit. If you are not in good condition, you are out of consideration.

“But that carries risks, because some players need time to return to their normal level.”

Mourinho then defended Vinicius Junior, rejecting the suggestion that he was avoiding the difficult decisions surrounding the Brazil forward.

“You mean Vinicius… I am not hiding,” Mourinho said. “What hurts me and makes me sad is knowing that he wants to be in good shape and wants to be the player who decides matches and makes the difference.

“What hurts me is seeing the pain he is feeling. He has surprised me by being an exceptional person and by working extremely hard to return.

“Will he always play until he gets back to his best, or will there come a time when we create a specific plan in which he does not play or goes to the bench and we find another way?”

Mourinho also said outside criticism was making it harder for Vinicius to regain his form.

“I do not interfere in the affairs of Real Madrid’s genuine supporters; I simply respect them,” he said. “But it hurts me deeply to see a player like this not currently producing the exceptional level we have become accustomed to from Vinicius.

“I am sad that some supporters, influenced by what many of you say, are not helping him. He deserves support and desperately wants to become again the Vinicius who gave Real Madrid supporters so many happy moments.”