Real Madrid News
Real Madrid face problems at centre-back position heading into Villarreal clash
Once the three-week international break comes to an end, Real Madrid will return to competitive action on 10 October with a La Liga game against Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Having lost their previous match against Atletico Madrid just before the international window, the Merengues know they cannot afford any more slip-ups, having already slipped down to fourth place in the table, four points below leaders FC Barcelona.
But, heading into the clash against the Yellow Submarine, Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho currently face a serious problem at centre-back.
Runninng out of options
Indeed, as things stand, Los Blancos could face Villarreal with only one fit and available senior central defender.
Dean Huijsen, who has been a permanent fixture in defence this season under Mourinho, will miss the match as he is suspended following his sending-off in the derby.
Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate is recovering from the injury he suffered with France, so it remains to be seen whether he will be fit in time for the La Liga encounter.
And, as confirmed earlier today, Raul Asencio is set to undergo surgery on his fractured tibia, which will rule him out of action for at least a couple of months.
Eder Militao’s situation is also uncertain. Although he has returned to training with the team during the ongoing international break, he has not played since last April and will not be rushed back into on-field action.
All this leaves Real Madrid veteran Antonio Rudiger as Mourinho’s only fully fit senior centre-back at present.
It must be noted that the veteran German is no longer an automatic starter, and the club are being cautious with him as well because of the history of problems affecting his knees.
What are Mourinho’s options?
There is still plenty of time before the Villarreal match, but given the situation, Mourinho could find himself relying on Konate and Militao immediately after their respective injuries, with the associated risk of a recurrence.
Another possible option would be to use Aurelien Tchouameni at centre-back, as Carlo Ancelotti did in the past. Alternatively, Alvaro Carreras could also be used as a makeshift central defender, like was last season by Xabi Alonso.
The Real Madrid manager could also turn to the academy for a solution, having trusted Mario Rivas during pre-season, while also giving some minutes to Joan Martinez.
In a major update, AS reports that former Real Madrid midfielder and club legend Toni Kroos has taken his first step towards starting his coaching career.
The former Germany international has told the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) that he is interested in joining the coaching course reserved for professional footballers.
Real Madrid tried to bring Kroos back
It is no secret that Real Madrid considered bringing Toni Kroos back into the club’s structure after the end of the last season.
The club president, Florentino Perez, had wanted Kroos to have a daily presence at Valdebebas rather than making occasional appearances after his retirement.
Jose Angel Sanchez and Kroos spoke after Perez expressed his desire to see the German working at Valdebebas every day. However, they did not find the right moment, time or structure to give his return a clear form.
A comeback remains one of the possibilities most desired by Madrid supporters because of Kroos’ charisma and what he represents at the Santiago Bernabeu. Neither side wanted him to return simply for the sake of it, so the door remains open for the future.
The relationship between the two parties is excellent, and both know that the opportunity to work together again will eventually come.
Taking it step by step
For now, Kroos continues to run the academy he established in Boadilla, enjoying the opportunity to help develop younger players.
After two years away from the competitive side of football, however, he is beginning to look towards the dugout as a possible next step in his career.
Kroos currently holds coaching qualifications that allow him to work up to the third tier of Spanish football.
This is possible because professionals with at least seven years of proven experience and significant involvement at the elite level can gain direct access to accelerated coaching courses.
That means Kroos could coach a team in Primera Federacion, but the German wants to take things gradually.
Kroos has already informed the RFEF that he would be interested in joining the coaching course reserved for professional footballers during the 2027/28 season.
The course taking place this season is not available to elite former players, with UEFA limiting each campaign to 20 places.
With his current qualifications, Kroos could work as an assistant coach, but he cannot yet take charge as a head coach in either the top flight or the Segunda División.
But completing that programme would allow Kroos to obtain the UEFA A licence, which would enable him to coach teams at any level.
