Bernardo Silva only played seven minutes in the international break for Portugal in the last few weeks, and it would have been kind of frustrating for him to sit on the bench and hope for minutes.
However, in theory, it would have also been a blessing in disguise for the midfielder as he would have had more time to rest and play his best football for Real Madrid.
He is no longer the youngster who used to play countless minutes for Monaco and Manchester City, so everyone, including himself, would have to manage his workload accordingly.
However, Jose Mourinho is taking that to another level. Even after just seven minutes of playing time in the break, Mourinho still refused to bring Silva on in their match against Villarreal on Saturday.
Bernardo Silva solves so many of Real Madrid's issues, and yet, Jose Mourinho does not want anything to do with him
Bernardo Silva was an unused substitute in a match where Real Madrid were begging for some ball retention, particularly in the last few minutes of the Villarreal clash, when they were a man down.
Despite that, the manager refused to bring him on, maybe because of the defensive work his midfielders had to do, which is why he went for options like Eduardo Camavinga over him.
Be that as it may, he should have played from the start. Real Madrid missed a profile like him all match long. It is not like Real Madrid had a lot of control over the game, and it also wasn't like Silva cannot do the defensive work that he would have had to do.
Not playing him when Real Madrid's best performances of the season have come when he has started is really confusing. He links up the entire team with his constant movement and passing, which is why Silva makes so much sense being in the lineup.
Even against Atletico, Silva started demanding the ball from his teammates and became a leader by example, which is what the team needed. Not a lot came of it -- apart from, of course, the assist to Antonio Rudiger for the consolation goal - but Silva gave the team some possession, control and hope, which is what this team lacks in most games.
He was then rewarded with a big fat zero in terms of minutes against Villarreal, a game which he could have contributed a lot to had he been brought on or started.
It is just really confusing to see why Mourinho is making this decision to not play his countryman, especially when he can solve some of the big issues for this team.
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