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AIPROPX ReportYahoo Sports · 47m ago
Real Madrid youngster guaranteed starting spot under Mourinho as two stars battle for final spot
Real Madrid youngster guaranteed starting spot under Mourinho as two stars battle for final spot
The starting lineup Jose Mourinho picked for his team’s game against Espanyol may not be the manager’s Gala lineup, but it certainly names eleven players who have his backing and have impressed.
There will undoubtedly be rotations and changes to the dynamic as the season progresses, but the players who featured on match day 2 will likely see some continuity under Mourinho in the coming weeks.
On the night, the coach opted to deploy Dean Huijsen and Ibrahima Konate as his two centre-backs, in what did come as a surprising development.
After all, Antonio Rudiger had trained more than Konate and the manager’s selection may well be indicative of his pecking order.
One assured starter
As confirmed by Diario AS in a recent update, Huijsen currently appears to be the player who has a fixed starting spot in central defence.
Konate is not a guaranteed starter yet. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
He has been at a good level in recent games and all signs point to him retaining that spot at least until Eder Militao recovers.
The battle for the second centre-back place, meanwhile, is between Rudiger and Konate and neither is definitely ahead of the other as matters stand.
Mourinho’s decision to start Konate at the weekend does not indicate that he is guaranteed anything. Notably, however, Rudiger was not even called off the bench against Espanyol.
Will Real Madrid push for another signing?
While Real Madrid have significantly boosted their squad already this summer, there has been talk of up to two more signings – one of which is a central defensive recruit.
Asencio’s departure can unlock the arrival of a new defender. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
The club have eyed several players in recent times, including Aymeric Laporte, Alessandro Bastoni and Nico Schlotterbeck, and an operation is not completely ruled out. It will, however, depend completely on sales.
At this point, Raul Asencio is seen as deadwood at the club, and Real Madrid are looking to sell him and make a new defensive signing.
The player, however, has been resisting a departure and still insists on impressing the manager.
Real Madrid’s potential centre-back signing, thus, completely depends on Asencio’s decision and the manager will hope to bring the best out of his existing resources, including Konate and Rudiger, until then.
Real MadridMourinhoJose MourinhoEspanyolGalaThereDean HuijsenIbrahima KonateAfterAntonio RudigerKonateOne
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