Tchouameni steps up and his versatility is working in his favor

Real Madrid C.F.

The Frenchman arrived at the derby fully recovered from his injury, although still some way off the competitive rhythm he needed. He himself had noticed that lack of training and minutes, so his absence with France, agreed after speaking with Zidane, opened up an opportunity to work for several weeks without interruptions.

Mourinho explained publicly the reason for that decision: “Zidane and Tchouameni have talked and come to the conclusion that the best thing for Aurélien is to have time to do the pre-season he hasn’t done”. The coach also told the player that he continues to count on him for the future.

Since then, Tchouameni has built up a significant physical workload at Valdebebas. The work has been split between the gym, the pitch, sessions with the rest of his teammates, and individualized exercises. Inside the club, they talk about “hours and hours” spent trying to make up for lost ground after the injury he suffered since the World Cup prevented him from completing a normal pre-season in the summer.

The improvement comes at an important time for Real Madrid. The team has received nine goals in eight matches, four of them shared between their two most recent visits to the Martínez Valero and the Metropolitano. The coaching staff see the Frenchman as an important piece for bringing balance, both for his ability to get involved in the build-up from the back and for his defensive presence.

Tchouameni, facing a possible emergency solution in defense

The next fixture will be against the Villarreal and Tchouameni is set to start, although Mourinho will first have to solve an added problem: the shortage of available centre-backs.

Militao is already working on the pitch, but his return is not expected, at least, until November. Huijsen will have to serve a suspension after his sending off in the derby, while Asencio has gone under the surgeon’s knife and will be out for at least three months. Konaté has options to make the match, although his availability is still not guaranteed.

If Konaté were ultimately unable to play either, Mourinho would have to choose between moving Tchouameni into central defense or using one of the youth players —Naasei, Joan Martínez or Mario Rivas— to form a partnership with Rüdiger.

While that uncertainty is resolved, the French international continues with his specific preparation. He is already into the third week of this particular tune-up work, designed to recover the fitness and rhythm he was unable to acquire during the summer ahead of the return of competition.