Mourinho's Stance on Tchouameni's Recovery
Real Madrid are learning to live without Aurelien Tchouameni. Jose Mourinho, though, has made one thing crystal clear: they will not rush him back.
The French midfielder has not played a minute this season, still wrestling with a physical problem that traces back to the World Cup. France managed his minutes back then; Madrid are doing the same now, only with even less margin for risk.
Mourinho draws a hard line on Tchouameni
In Tchouameni’s absence, Mourinho has turned to a holding pairing of Federico Valverde and Bernardo Silva to anchor his midfield. It works well enough for now, but nobody inside Valdebebas is pretending this is the long-term plan.
According to Bernabeu Digital, Madrid have decided they will not take any unnecessary chances with Tchouameni’s fitness, no matter how eager the 26-year-old is to get back on the pitch. Mourinho has mapped out a strict recovery plan and will not deviate from it. No shortcuts. No emotional decisions.
Tchouameni has been dealing with discomfort in the groin area after a demanding summer with France. He wants to accelerate the process; the club have slowed him down. His workload is being increased step by step, with no fixed comeback date, and that’s exactly how Mourinho wants it.
The Portuguese coach sees Tchouameni as a cornerstone: a midfielder with the physical power to cover ground and the discipline to give balance to everyone around him. His potential partnership with Valverde is a key part of Mourinho’s blueprint. That is precisely why Madrid are ready to sacrifice him for several games now rather than gamble and risk turning a manageable issue into a long-term problem.
Long-term availability comes first. Especially in September.
Madrid believe they have enough depth to ride out this spell without him. Losing Tchouameni for months because of a relapse would be far more damaging once the calendar tightens and the decisive fixtures start piling up.
There was uncertainty over his future earlier in the summer when Madrid were linked with Rodri. Those doubts have faded. The message now is patience, even if Tchouameni feels he could return sooner. Whether it takes two weeks or another month, the club want him back only when he is at full fitness.
Mourinho, stung by last season’s injury problems, is determined not to repeat the mistake of rushing players back. How Tchouameni responds to this carefully managed process will shape not only his season, but Madrid’s midfield hierarchy.
The missing profile in Mourinho’s midfield
While Tchouameni works his way back, another debate is simmering in the background: are Madrid still one midfielder short?
They have spent heavily and added quality all over the pitch, yet Mourinho’s squad still lacks one specific profile – a true controller at the base of midfield. The kind of player who dictates tempo rather than just breaks up play.
Rodri was the one they wanted. The club had been on track to sign the Manchester City midfielder, only for him to choose Barcelona instead. That decision left a gap in Mourinho’s ideal structure, even if the squad remains stacked with talent.
Into that gap, at least in theory, steps another name.
According to Defensa Central, former Real Madrid player Alvaro Benito believes Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi is the man who could offer exactly what Mourinho is missing. Benito’s assessment is not about eye-catching statistics or highlight-reel moments. He points to Zubimendi’s positioning, intelligence and use of the ball – the kind of qualities that quietly elevate everyone else.
The Spain international also brings competitiveness and strength in duels, traits that would naturally appeal to Mourinho’s taste for combative midfielders. Madrid already boast Valverde’s energy, Jude Bellingham’s dominance in advanced areas and Tchouameni’s physical presence and defensive security. Zubimendi, though, represents a different kind of anchor, a player whose main contribution is to give structure and calm.
In Benito’s eyes, he is perhaps the closest available alternative to the Manchester City midfielder Madrid missed out on. “If you can get your hands on him and he’s to Mourinho’s and the club’s liking… I wouldn’t hesitate to sign him. Zubimendi makes those around him better,” the former midfielder said.
Door closed for now – but not forever
For the moment, the idea looks more like a conversation than a concrete plan.
The report states that Madrid consider their squad effectively closed. Inside Valdebebas, nobody expects late surprises before the transfer window shuts, either in terms of arrivals or departures. Arsenal, for their part, have no intention of letting the 27-year-old go in this window.
Benito still believes Madrid should move if the opportunity arises and Mourinho gives the green light. If not now, then later. Zubimendi is seen as a player worth tracking over the coming months, a potential long-term solution rather than a panic buy.
Choosing not to act this summer does not mean the story ends. A profile like his would almost certainly improve this Madrid midfield, whether alongside Tchouameni or as an alternative to him in certain games.
This could become one of those recurring transfer sagas that reappears every window. How Zubimendi performs at the Emirates this season – and how well Madrid cope without a pure controller while they nurse Tchouameni back to full health – will decide how loudly that story returns.
