Tchouameni's Absence: Mourinho Confirms No Madrid Pressure from Zidane
Aurélien Tchouameni’s stop–start season has taken another twist, and this time it comes with the full backing of both club and country.
Zinedine Zidane has left the midfielder out of his first France squad for the national team’s upcoming four matches, a notable omission on paper but one rooted in simple reality: Tchouameni is not ready. A nagging groin injury has limited him to just three appearances for Real Madrid this season, with only one start — the 3-2 defeat to Elche — hinting at how far he still is from full sharpness.
On Saturday, on the eve of the Madrid derby, José Mourinho moved to kill off any suggestion that Real Madrid had leaned on France to protect their player.
“There was no influence from me,” Mourinho said. “I didn’t call Zidane and Zidane didn’t call me. It took me by surprise. But they (Zidane and Tchouameni) discussed and agreed that the best thing for him was to use this break to do the pre-season he couldn’t do.”
No backroom politicking. No club-versus-country tug of war. Just a player and a national team coach agreeing that his body needs a reset.
A delayed pre-season in October
Tchouameni’s summer never really started. The groin issue stripped him of a proper pre-season and has left Mourinho drip-feeding him minutes. For a midfielder who relies on physical dominance and range, that lack of conditioning has been brutal.
The Portuguese coach didn’t hide how crucial this window is.
He stressed that the 24-year-old “desperately needs this time” to rebuild his fitness, framing the France omission as an opportunity rather than a snub. For Madrid, it is close to ideal: while others scatter across the globe for international duty, Tchouameni can stay behind, rest, and work.
Mourinho was blunt about the upside from the club’s point of view.
“The national team manager let him know that he was counting on him for the future and they agreed on this decision which, for us, is a privilege,” he said. “Because after the derby, he will have his days off and will be able to come back stronger.”
France keep their man in the long-term picture. Madrid get him in the gym and on the training pitch without the strain of back-to-back international fixtures. Everyone walks away satisfied.
A rare gap in Madrid’s calendar
Timing helps. Once the final whistle blows in the Madrid derby on Sunday, Real Madrid disappear from the match calendar for a while. Their next game is not until October 10, against Villarreal, followed four days later by a Champions League tie with Roma.
That stretch offers something almost unheard of in the modern schedule: a genuine recovery block.
If Tchouameni uses it as planned — part rest, part bespoke pre-season — he has a clear path to return not as a fringe option, but as a serious contender to cement a starting spot under Mourinho.
The question now is simple: when this enforced pause ends, will Tchouameni finally look like the midfielder Madrid thought they were getting all along?
