Mourinho considers resting Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe for Villarreal

Jose Mourinho is weighing whether to leave both Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe out of Real Madrid’s starting line-up for Saturday’s La Liga match against Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The pair have never previously started a match together from the substitutes’ bench, but any decision to rest them would be based on fitness and workload rather than disciplinary concerns.

Vinicius has only recently returned to Real Madrid after international duty with Brazil, having featured in all three of his country’s friendlies in Australia and India. The winger’s long-haul travel and demanding schedule have prompted Mourinho to consider whether he is ready to play from the outset.

The Brazilian has also found it difficult to reproduce his best form for Real Madrid this season. A period out of the starting side could therefore allow him to recover physically and mentally before the club enters an important stage of its campaign.

Mbappe’s circumstances are different. The France forward has been recovering from a hyperextension of the posterior capsule of his left knee and has resumed individual training at Real Madrid City.

Although Mbappe could be declared fit to face Villarreal, Mourinho must still determine whether he is capable of coping with the demands of a complete match.

Real Madrid have several attacking alternatives if Mourinho decides to rest both forwards. Brahim Diaz, Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham could be given greater responsibility, while Carlos Espi and Yan Diomande are also options depending on the manager’s tactical approach.

The fixture list is likely to form part of Mourinho’s thinking. Following the Villarreal game, Real Madrid are due to play Roma, Sevilla and RB Leipzig before meeting Barcelona in the crucial El Clasico on October 25.

That sequence means Mourinho must consider more than the immediate challenge at the Santiago Bernabeu. Keeping Vinicius and Mbappe fresh now could improve Real Madrid’s prospects of having both forwards fully fit for the most significant matches ahead.

The final decision is expected to be guided by how the two players respond during training. Mourinho is nevertheless assessing the wider demands on his squad as Real Madrid move into a particularly demanding period of the season.