According to MARCA, Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is eagerly awaiting the best version of Bernardo Silva.

The Portuguese midfielder, who arrived in the summer, is expected to become a key figure in a Real Madrid side that is still searching for greater control and creativity in midfield.

Inter Milan game exposed Real Madrid’s weakness

Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League meeting with Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu highlighted what many see as the major weakness of Mourinho’s new Real Madrid.

The lack of control in midfield turned the match into a chaotic contest, with the Merengues ultimately surviving thanks in large part to another outstanding performance from Thibaut Courtois.

While the forwards were guilty of wasting several opportunities, Real Madrid struggled to manage the game for long periods.

And, Mourinho believes he has an answer to that problem in Bernardo Silva.

Bernardo’s absence was badly felt

Bernardo missed the Inter match through suspension, alongside Arda Guler and Eduardo Camavinga.

With the midfield depleted, Mourinho tried to compensate by pushing Trent further forward to help Federico Valverde with the creative duties.

The experiment did not work particularly well, and it is unlikely to be repeated unless circumstances leave Mourinho with no alternative.

The failure to sign Rodri was a blow for Real Madrid, but the club and Mourinho believed they had at least partially addressed the problem by securing Bernardo’s arrival earlier in the summer.

The Portuguese midfielder had been the creative heartbeat of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, and Real Madrid won the race for his signature despite competition from Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and other clubs.

A slow start, but Mourinho needs Bernardo’s creativity

Mourinho’s intervention proved decisive in persuading Bernardo to choose Real Madrid, but his influence in the team has been limited so far.

The coach publicly called out the midfielder for not working hard enough physically during the pre-season, which may help explain his modest involvement at the start of the campaign.

Bernardo has played just 205 minutes across four matches, starting two of them.

His best performances actually came during pre-season, when he stood out as the team’s new metronome while the squad was still adapting to Mourinho’s ideas.

That process is continuing, with Bernardo playing only a little over half an hour across Real Madrid’s last three matches.

The Portuguese is being eagerly awaited by his manager, particularly because Mourinho does not currently plan to move Guler into a deeper role.

The coach believes Guler is more effective when operating closer to goal, although he sees the Turkish international eventually playing in a deeper role.

For now, though, that leaves Bernardo with an important responsibility in the build-up.

After playing more than 50 matches for Manchester City last season, and then participating in the World Cup he still needs to build his physical condition before taking on a greater role in Real Madrid’s midfield, with Mourinho waiting for his best version.