Real Madrid News
Former Real Madrid manager insists ‘whole team has to change a bit’ following dodgy start
In a recent interaction with MARCA, Bernd Schuster spoke at length about La Liga in general as well as his personal life.
However, what caught the attention was his statements on Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappe, amid the club’s muted start to the new season.
Schuster on Mbappe’s woes
Schuster commented on Mbappe and his mixed start to life at Real Madrid. Although the forward has netted five La Liga goals, three of them have come from penalties.
Mbappe has also struggled to establish any real connection with his attacking partners such as Vinicius and Rodrygo. Although he has received support from teammates, his early struggles remain a point of concern for the fans.
Talking about Mbappe’s woes, Schuster said the forward must change his game, but so do Real Madrid as a whole.
“Sometimes people like him come in with a lot of quality. Normally it’s easier for them, but sometimes it’s a bit difficult. I think it’s a question of matches,” he said.
“He knows what he has to do, it’s a question of time. The whole team has to change a bit, not just him,” he added.
A midfielder in his days, Schuster had played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid during his career. He had also briefly managed Real Madrid between 2007 and 2008.
Schuster on Kroos
Speaking of midfielders, Schuster also highlighted Real Madrid’s struggles following the retirement of Toni Kroos.
“In the team, right now there is no one there [in midfield]. Kroos was the last one. He has marked 10 years at Real Madrid with the way of playing. His solidity cannot be replaced,” Schuster said.
“There is no one there now and we have to find a formula for things to work the same way. There will not be another like him because he has marked an era and this cannot be changed in two months,” the German concluded.
After 10 years at Real Madrid, Kroos retired from football at the end of Euro 2024. He notably won the Champions League in his final game for Real Madrid.
With the international break done and dusted, Real Madrid will be back in action this weekend in La Liga, where they will be looking to catch up to league leaders FC Barcelona.
Coming up for Jose Mourinho & co., who lost their last game before the international break, will be a home game against Villarreal on Saturday.
And, leading up to the game, the Spanish capital club have received welcome news on the injury front.
Mbappe back in group training
Indeed, as per MARCA, Kylian Mbappe will be available for Real Madrid’s match against Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
Having been training individually so far this week, the France captain rejoined group training under Mourinho today, taking a concrete step forward towards making himself available for the game.
The forward looked relaxed and ready to work, putting his boots back on and joining the group as Real Madrid prepare for a demanding run of fixtures throughout October.
And, unless there is any unforeseen setback, everything suggests that Mbappe will be ready to start against the Yellow Submarine come Saturday.
Under scrutiny
The past few weeks have been nothing short of eventful for Mbappe, with his every action and movement under heavy scrutiny.
Playing for France, in Zinedine Zidane’s managerial debut, the 27-year-old superstar scored a goal before asking for a substitution due to a knee injury.
Having flown back to Madrid, he underwent tests, which confirmed the injury, although it was not as serious as was initially feared.
The forward then took week-long holiday with his partner that sparked some debate among supporters and attracted criticism from multiple quarters.
Mbappe returned to Madrid on Monday and participated in individual sessions at Valdebebas over the past couple of days. Now he has resumed normal training with his teammates.
There had been doubts over whether Mbappe would be able to face Villarreal after he picked up the injury on 25 September.
However, the recovery plan followed by the forward appears to have worked, and he is now expected to be in a fully fit condition for Saturday’s match.
