Real Madrid News
Real Madrid receive major boost as key defender begins training with the group
Real Madrid weathered a storm to get past Manchester City earlier this week and are clearly still riding on the euphoria of that performance.
Despite struggling with injuries and form ahead of the UEFA Champions League clash, Los Blancos pulled off one of their most dominant performances of the campaign when it mattered most.
Now, they slowly celebrate the return of some key names to the team’s dynamics with many players now nearing the tail-end of their recovery periods.
A massive development
As confirmed by Mario Cortegana in a recent report, Real Madrid defender Eder Militao has returned to train with the group as of earlier today.
The update marks a milestone in his recovery from a medium to long-term injury – a setback that really tested his physical and mental toughness just months after his return from a previous injury.
The Brazilian international went down injured 24 minutes into Real Madrid’s defeat to Celta Vigo in December and has been out ever since. He has spent three months on the sidelines and he now begins to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Injuries have not been kind to the defender in recent years, especially with back-to-back ACL tears and regular muscle injuries falling his way.
Now that he is back in training once more, the objective for both him and the management will be to get him back on the field at the earliest and keep him injury-free in the long-term.
However, the report adds that his return to training does not necessarily mean he will be back on the field anytime in the coming games.
So far this season, Militao has made 13 league appearances for Real Madrid and has a goal and an assist to his name. He has overseen four clean sheets and averages over ten defensive actions per game.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho has already called up one of Real Madrid academy’s biggest prospects to first-team training
Real Madrid have an excellent academy model that most clubs around Europe would envy.
La Fabrica is not just a source of talented starlets for the first team. In fact, that may be the least important prong of Madrid’s academy.
Very few players, such as Raul Asencio and Thiago Pitarch, have stepped up from the academy and earned a place in the first team.
The academy has also proved to be a source of income for the club, with Madrid generating close to €210 million from academy-related operations in the summer.
Now, according to Diario AS, Los Blancos youngster Cherif Fofana is emerging as one of the names to watch at Valdebebas.
The highly rated academy prospect has already been given an opportunity to work alongside Mourinho’s senior squad. He has also been dubbed the ‘little Kante’.
Mourinho has already taken a look
Mourinho inviting Cherif into the senior environment is significant. First-team training does not guarantee competitive minutes, but it is an important first step.
At Madrid, minutes are not easy to come by with a squad as talented as theirs, but Cherif training with them will be valuable exposure for him.
It also provides an opportunity for him to become familiar with Mourinho’s expectations before any potential first-team opportunity arrives.
Madrid have already seen that pathway work with academy talents such as Asencio and Pitarch, who have progressed and become genuine first-team options.
Another prospect emerging from La Fabrica
Cherif is another product of a recruitment and development system designed to identify players capable of eventually competing at the highest level.
Not every highly rated youngster will establish himself at the Bernabeu, and Madrid know that better than anyone.
The important part is creating a pathway where the best prospects are continually exposed to higher standards.
Training under Mourinho represents precisely that kind of step. Cherif cannot afford to slack off now and needs to keep improving and developing.
The 16-year-old central midfielder seems to have a huge future in the game, and it remains to be seen how his progression at Madrid plays out.
