Real Madrid News
Mourinho has already decided where Federico Valverde will play for Real Madrid – report
Jose Mourinho appears to have already made one important decision regarding Federico Valverde’s role at Real Madrid.
Despite the Uruguayan’s ability to operate in several positions, the Portuguese manager has no intention of turning him into a regular right-back.
Instead, Valverde is being treated as a key midfield player under Mourinho’s command for the 2026/27 season.
According to an update from Defensa Central, Valverde will continue in midfield when Real Madrid face Deportivo La Coruña in the Teresa Herrera Trophy.
As per the outlet, the 28-year-old is also expected to captain the side once again, with Eduardo Camavinga alongside him.
Mourinho wants versatility but has one Valverde rule
Mourinho has made it clear that versatility will be an important part of his plans at Real Madrid.
The manager wants players who can cover different roles and give him more tactical options during a long season.
On that note, Valverde is arguably one of the best examples of that profile in the squad.
The Uruguayan can influence matches from several areas of the pitch. His energy, physical strength, passing range and ability to cover ground make him an extremely useful player for any manager.
However, Mourinho appears to have drawn a line when it comes to using him at full-back.
Despite Valverde having experience in the position, the Portuguese coach does not currently see him as a solution on the right side of defence.
That stance is significant because Real Madrid have added a specialist option in Denzel Dumfries, while Trent Alexander-Arnold is entering his second season at the club.
With those two players available, Mourinho has little reason to move one of his most important midfielders away from his preferred role.
Valverde faces fierce midfield competition
Keeping Valverde in midfield does not mean his place in the starting XI will always be straightforward.
In fact, Real Madrid’s midfield is becoming one of the most competitive areas of Mourinho’s squad.
Aurelien Tchouameni, Bernardo Silva, Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga and Arda Güler are all competing for positions in an area already packed with quality.
That makes Valverde’s continued importance particularly interesting.
Rather than moving him to right-back to solve a potential selection problem, Mourinho appears ready to find another solution and keep the Uruguayan where he can have greater influence.
Real Madrid will be looking to pick up their fifth win of the 2026/27 La Liga season when they take on Elche CF at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero later tonight.
With 12 points from five games, Los Blancos are currently second in the league table, three points below leaders FC Barcelona.
As such, the Spanish capital club will be eager to get the win and close the gap to the top.
Guler starts, Bellingham rested
Ahead of kickoff, Real Madrid have announced the starting lineup that will take the field against Elche, with Jose Mourinho making some important changes.
For starters, Arda Guler is back in the lineup after appearing as a substitute in the win over Rayo Vallecano.
Interestingly, however, he starts in the attacking midfield role, with Mourinho opting to rest Jude Bellingham, who has started all of Real Madrid’s games so far.
That also means that Yan Diomande retains his place in the team, starting for a second time in a row on the right wing. Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. continue in their respective positions in attack.
Another notable change sees Aurelien Tchouameni make his first start of the season after recovering from injury and making two appearances off the bench.
He replaces Bernardo Silva as Federico Valverde’s partner in the middle of the park.
Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marc Cucurella come in as full-backs, while Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen slot in at centre-back in front of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
📋✅ ¡Nuestro XI inicial!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) September 15, 2026
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