Brahim Diaz playing through muscle injury for Mourinho’s Real Madrid

Brahim Diaz has continued to make himself available for Real Madrid despite suffering significant muscle pain, with the Morocco international determined to support Jose Mourinho’s new project even as his playing time has fallen in recent matches.

According to Spanish newspaper AS, Diaz was outstanding against Inter Milan. He created Kylian Mbappe’s opening goal and produced an excellent assist for Jude Bellingham’s third after beating a defender, although Bellingham was unable to finish the move.

Since that game, Diaz has played only 22 minutes across three matches. He remained an unused substitute against Rayo Vallecano, came on in the 68th minute against Elche and was left in his training kit again during the derby against Atletico de Madrid.

Real Madrid produced a poor display in that derby, while the performance of referee Ortiz Arias also drew criticism. The situation prompted repeated questions from supporters, particularly on social media, about why Diaz was not being selected.

The explanation is his physical condition. AS reports that the attacking midfielder has been dealing with a muscle injury and has been pushing through the discomfort to remain available to the team.

Diaz’s problems have lasted for several matches and are affecting his daily life, but he believes stopping is not an option. He wants to continue working and helping the squad as Real Madrid begin a new era under Mourinho, who is aware of the effort the player is making.

His condition helps explain why Diaz has started consecutive matches only once, against Real Sociedad and Malaga. Despite Mourinho’s confidence in him and his performances when selected, Diaz has featured for only 178 minutes so far. Only Andre Lunin, Tiago, who has yet to make his debut, Endrick, with four minutes, and Espe, with 26, have played less.

Impressive display against Inter Milan

The muscle pain has disrupted Diaz’s involvement but did not prevent him from producing a notable performance in the Champions League against Inter Milan.

As well as his assist, he created another opportunity for Mbappe which the France forward did not convert. Diaz made four chances in total, including three clear opportunities, and completed 15 passes in the final third – more than any other player.

He also ranked second for shots with two, completed both dribbles he attempted, won five of nine duels and reached almost 32 km/h at top speed. His passing accuracy was 93%.

Those statistics reinforced Mourinho’s faith in Diaz, who had already received highly positive reports regarding both his performances and his daily work at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training complex.

During pre-season, Diaz scored a superb goal to win the Teresa Herrera Cup for Real Madrid. He controlled a 45-metre pass from Lunin on his chest, carried the ball forward and finished the move.

The competition for places has not discouraged him. Real Madrid signed Diomande for 125m euros during the summer, while Mourinho regards Arda Guler as more suited to the playmaker role than central midfield. Endrick can also play on the right, but Diaz has never considered leaving and the club has not asked him to go. Instead, he has chosen to continue sacrificing himself despite his physical difficulties.