Real Madrid News
Real Madrid boss Mourinho completely rules out playing 23-year-old at left-back – report
Jose Mourinho has made a clear decision regarding Eduardo Camavinga’s role at Real Madrid, with the Portuguese manager unwilling to use the Frenchman as a left-back.
According to Defensa Central, Mourinho sees Camavinga strictly as a midfielder and plans to use him as an alternative to Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde during the 2026/27 season.
The decision could finally bring an end to the positional uncertainty that has followed Camavinga throughout his Real Madrid career.
The French international has regularly been pushed into the left-back position in previous seasons whenever injuries or squad problems left the team short of options.
Under Mourinho, however, that is set to change.
The Real Madrid manager does not want Camavinga spending time adapting to another position and would only consider using him at left-back in an extreme emergency.
Mourinho sees Camavinga as midfield cover
Mourinho currently considers the Real Madrid squad complete and is working with the players already available to him.
That also means Camavinga is expected to remain at the club despite previous suggestions that Real Madrid could consider selling him.
The Portuguese coach is counting on the French midfielder and sees him as an important option for the season ahead.
Rather than using him across multiple positions, Mourinho wants to keep his role simple.
Camavinga will provide competition and rotation in central midfield, primarily acting as cover for Tchouameni and Valverde.
As per the outlet, Camavinga could often be used from the bench and given opportunities to rotate with the first-choice midfielders, as Mourinho does not want him playing out of position.
The manager believes that constantly learning the demands of different roles could distract the player from fully developing his game in midfield.
Cucurella signing gives Real Madrid more options
Real Madrid’s summer business has also made Mourinho’s decision easier.
The arrival of Marc Cucurella has strengthened a position that had caused the club problems in previous seasons.
His signing means Mourinho has a specialist left-back available rather than needing to turn to a midfielder for cover.
Furthermore, Alvaro Carreras is also available, while Ferland Mendy is expected to return once he recovers.
Lastly, Real Madrid also tested Lamini Fati during pre-season and could look towards another academy player if further depth is required.
Hence, with several alternatives available, there should be little reason to move Camavinga back to defence.
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
