Diomande’s Ivory Coast display adds to Mourinho’s Real Madrid selection puzzle

Yan Diomande strengthened his claim for a regular starting place at Real Madrid with an influential performance for Ivory Coast this week, after manager Jose Mourinho finally included him in the starting line-up.

With Vinicius unavailable, Mourinho looked for the most suitable position for the Ivorian and initially used him on the right wing. Diomande impressed in matches against Rayo Vallecano and Elche, emerging as one of the standout players in both games.

His breakthrough came against Villarreal, when Vinicius began on the bench. The Brazilian was introduced after half-time but was later sent off, while Diomande caused major problems from the left and scored an excellent goal.

Diomande remained on that flank for Real Madrid’s next four matches. He scored and provided an assist against Sevilla before finding the net again against Racing.

He also played on the left against Leipzig, contributing another goal and an assist. In the most recent match, against AEK Athens, he returned to the right as Vinicius came back into the side. Diomande did not score or assist before being substituted in the 67th minute.

The 10 shirt-holder played the full match for Ivory Coast, starting on the left of a front three alongside Elye Wahi and Nicolas Pepe. From that position, he won possession for one of Ivory Coast’s two goals against Gambia.

Vinicius return creates a decision

Vinicius missed four La Liga matches through suspension, giving Diomande the opportunity to establish himself in the position usually occupied by the Brazilian.

However, Vinicius is due to return when Real Madrid face Celta Vigo at Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, 21 November 2026.

“Now is the time for Mourinho to make a decision,” Marca reported. “He has always relied on Vinicius on the left and Diomande on the right. Naturally, that would remain the arrangement if both players started together.”

The difficulty is that selecting both alongside Kylian Mbappe would require another player to move out of a deeper position. Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva have all made significant progress in recent matches.

Leipzig provides a possible solution

Mourinho believes Diomande can produce his best football on the right, where he can use his stronger right foot. During last season with German club Leipzig, he played considerably more minutes on that side 1,591 compared with about 478 on the left.

Operating in his natural position gives Mourinho greater attacking width. Diomande can use his dribbling, pace and strength to break through defensive lines, reach the byline and deliver crosses into the area.

On the left, he tends to combine dribbling with diagonal movement infield, creating room to use his preferred foot for shots. He has already scored for Real Madrid from that position, both after structured attacks and by receiving passes from the right.

Mourinho recently addressed the issue while stressing that he did not want to overlook the other attacking options.

“Diomande can play on both sides, as can Ibrahim Diaz. Endrick is more suited to the right, although he can also play on the left. Of all of them, Vinicius is the most adapted to playing on the left wing,” said the manager.

Vinicius’s place for the Celta Vigo match will only be confirmed on the day. Mourinho trusts him, but said 10 days ago that he would not announce in advance that the player would start.

The Portuguese manager had already begun signalling his concerns about Vinicius’ declining form before the suspension. The Brazilian now faces a fight to regain his starting position.