We are just eight games into the new season, and Real Madrid have already been hit by their first major injury of the season. As announced by an official club statement, captain Fede Valverde has been diagnosed with a grade-three sprain in his left ankle following Lee Kang-in's horrible tackle in this past weekend's Madrid derby. The timetable for his return could be anywhere from three to six weeks, the latter of which is a worst-case scenario for Real Madrid.
With Valverde out injured, Jose Mourinho now has one of his first big decisions to make this season, how will he patch the hole left by the Uruguayan? Thankfully, the manager has a number of options at his disposal he can use to try and find that perfect balance in the midfield, but which will he go with?
Jose Mourinho has a big midfield decision on his plate
Firstly, with Valverde out, this now means that Aurelien Tchouameni is even more of an undisputed starter in the midfield. The Frenchman was already a guaranteed started but now, after Valverde's injury, his spot is locked in as he is the only true defensive midfielder in the team.
This now brings the question: who will partner Tchouameni? The first option could be Eduardo Camavinga. The Frenchman is more of a defensive option compared to Valverde, but can offer some things in attack and has put in some good performances off the bench this season, and with Real Madrid lacking control in the middle of the pitch, playing two defensive midfielders could bring some stability in that area.
Next, we have what will be the most likely option, and that is starting Bernardo Silva. With Tchouameni occupying the defensive midfield role, Bernardo could be brought in to play more of the Kroos -type, tempo-controlling midfield role, another area the team has been lacking in this season.
Bernardo doesn't really have the legs he once had, so if he ventures forward, odds are he won't be able to track back in time to defend, which could prove costly, but Los Blancos need a deeper-lying playmaker in the midfield, so it could be worth making a sacrifice given what the Portuguese brings to the team.
Lastly, we have what is probably the least likely option, but still an option, and that would be shifting Jude Bellingham down and partnering him with Tchouameni, moving Arda Guler from the right-wing to the number 10 role, and starting someone like Yan Diomande or Brahim Diaz on the right-wing.
Bellingham and Tchouameni could prove to be a balanced midfield, with both doing their defensive work, and Bellingham still being able to push more forward. However, we did see Xabi Alonso try Bellingham in a deeper role to little success, so Jose Mourinho probably isn't too keen to try his hand at it.
Ultimately, who Jose Mourinho decides to go with all depends on the length of Valverde's injury recovery. He could be fit and ready to go by the time club football returns from international break, or he could be out till November; either way, it would still be wise for the manager to use these three weeks to assess his options and find a solution off the back of the slow start to the new season.
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