Mourinho's Approach to Tchouameni's Recovery
Real Madrid are learning to live without Aurelien Tchouameni – and Jose Mourinho is determined that when the Frenchman finally returns, it will be on his terms, not the calendar’s.
The midfielder has not played a minute this season, still wrestling with a physical problem that has lingered since the World Cup with France. Back then, he was rotated carefully to manage his minutes. The issue never truly went away.
Now it has caught up with him.
Mourinho draws a hard line on Tchouameni
In Tchouameni’s absence, Mourinho has turned to Federico Valverde and Bernardo Silva as his holding pair, a stopgap solution rather than the long-term plan. The temptation, with a player of Tchouameni’s profile, would be to rush him back the moment he says he feels ready.
Mourinho has shut that door.
According to Bernabeu Digital, Real Madrid have decided they will not take a single unnecessary risk with the 26-year-old, even as the player pushes to accelerate his return. The Portuguese coach has laid out a strict recovery roadmap and will not deviate from it. No shortcuts. No gambles.
Tchouameni has been dealing with discomfort in the groin area after a heavy summer workload with France. He wants to speed things up. Madrid are slowing him down.
His workload will be increased step by step, with no fixed comeback date circled on the calendar. That stance says everything about how Mourinho views him: not just as another midfielder, but as a pillar of his structure.
Mourinho values Tchouameni’s blend of power, range and balance, and sees his partnership with Valverde as a key component of Madrid’s midfield identity. That is precisely why the club are prepared to do without him for several more games if needed, rather than risk turning a manageable problem into a long-term absence.
Long-term availability, not short-term convenience, is the priority.
Madrid can afford that stance right now. The squad has enough depth in the middle of the pitch to cope, especially at this stage of the season when the calendar is demanding but not yet suffocating. Losing Tchouameni for months because of a relapse would bite far harder when the fixtures start to pile up.
There was uncertainty around his future earlier in the summer, particularly when Madrid were heavily linked with Rodri. That noise has faded. The message now is clear: Tchouameni is central to the project, but he will only return at full fitness – even if that means waiting another month.
Mourinho, scarred by last season’s injury issues, is determined not to repeat the mistake of rushing players back. Tchouameni’s recovery will be a test of that resolve and of the club’s patience. The fans will have to wait to see him again. Madrid believe it will be worth it.
The missing profile in Mourinho’s midfield
While Tchouameni works his way back, another debate is brewing around Madrid’s midfield – not about who is missing through injury, but about the one type of player Mourinho still does not have.
Despite heavy investment this summer, one profile remains absent from his squad: a natural controller at the base of midfield, someone to dictate tempo and orchestrate from deep.
Rodri was the plan. The Manchester City midfielder looked on course to join before ultimately choosing Barcelona instead, a significant blow to Madrid’s recruitment strategy.
Now a familiar voice has put another name on the table.
According to Defensa Central, former Real Madrid player Alvaro Benito believes Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi fits that missing profile perfectly. Benito’s case is not built on spectacular statistics or highlight reels. He sees a midfielder who improves the team around him through positioning, intelligence and clean use of the ball.
Zubimendi brings bite as well. His competitiveness and strength in duels would naturally appeal to Mourinho, who already has an abundance of talent but not this specific type of conductor.
Valverde supplies energy and vertical running. Jude Bellingham dominates in advanced areas. Tchouameni offers physical presence and defensive cover. Zubimendi, in Benito’s eyes, would be the piece that gives structure to all of them.
Benito even goes as far as to describe the Spain international as perhaps the closest available alternative to Rodri on the market. His verdict is blunt: if Madrid can sign him and Mourinho approves, he would not hesitate. Zubimendi, he insists, makes those around him better.
Dream target, closed doors
For now, it remains an idea more than a live operation.
The report indicates that Madrid consider their squad effectively closed. At Valdebebas, no one is expecting late arrivals or departures before the window shuts. On Arsenal’s side, the stance is just as firm: the Gunners have shut the door on a move for the 27-year-old this summer.
Even so, Benito believes Madrid should stay alert. If circumstances change and Zubimendi becomes attainable, he argues, the club should be ready to move – provided Mourinho gives the green light.
This is not a one-window conversation. Even if a deal is impossible now, Zubimendi is the kind of player Madrid can keep tracking, window after window, waiting for the right opening.
For Mourinho, the question is clear. When Tchouameni is finally back to full power and the midfield is complete on paper, will that elusive deep-lying controller still be the missing piece that separates a strong side from a dominant one?
