Real Madrid face major defensive decision ahead of Villarreal test

Real Madrid must decide whether to take a risk on Ibrahima Konate or use an alternative at centre-back when they host Villarreal in La Liga on Saturday.

The match, from the eighth round of the Spanish league season, presents head coach Jose Mourinho with a difficult selection problem. According to Spanish newspaper Sport, Mourinho is searching for a partner for Antonio Rudiger in the centre of defence against the “Yellow Submarine”.

Real Madrid’s defensive options have been severely reduced. Dean Huijsen is suspended after being sent off in the Madrid derby, ruling him out of Saturday’s fixture, while Raul Asencio is unavailable after recently undergoing surgery.

Konate’s fitness is also uncertain after the France international experienced some pain. Eder Militao is the only other defender still following the recovery programme set out for him.

Rudiger, however, is in excellent physical condition. The Germany defender has been focusing on producing his best form for Real Madrid since retiring from international football.

He continued working at the club’s Valdebebas training complex during the international break and intends to maintain the level of reliability Mourinho expects whenever he is called upon.

The squad list has offered some encouragement to Real Madrid. Federico Valverde, Kylian Mbappe and Konate have all been included for the match against Villarreal.

That leaves Mourinho facing a choice between selecting Konate despite the concerns over his fitness or turning to another solution. One possible alternative would be to use Aurelien Tchouameni in central defence alongside Rudiger.

The decision will determine how Real Madrid cope with Villarreal while several defensive players remain unavailable or short of full fitness.