Real Madrid, in these last few years, just cannot catch a break when it comes to fitness of their defenders.
Every season since 2023 has seen Real Madrid miss one defender or the other to a long-term injury, and it is a trend that is getting progressively more difficult to manage.
It is either that, or a host of defenders have short to medium-term injuries – or a suspension here and there on top of it – which forces their manager to play Aurelien Tchouameni at centre-back – which is something that might happen once again.
On paper, Real Madrid should have two central defenders fit for the clash against Villarreal, which is the number of defenders they usually play in that position. However, one of them is Ibrahima Konate, who will be coming back from the injury he suffered at the start of the international break around the time of the match.
That would mean that Real Madrid would only have one truly fit centre-back, because even if Konate gets the clearance to play against Villarreal, Jose Mourinho probably would not have played him against the Yellow Submarine if he had other central defenders available.
Real Madrid should rest Ibrahima Konate against Villarreal
Now, there is a dilemma over Mourinho’s head – should he play Konate, knowing fully well that while he is fit, he is still coming back from a knee injury that should be managed well, or should he play Tchouameni out of position for the first time this season?
Well, the answer seems obvious.
Konate has been Real Madrid’s best defender this season, but if playing him could aggravate that injury, then he deserves to be rested for another game.
Villarreal will be a really tough battle, but it is clear that a centre-back pairing of Tchouameni and Rudiger could manage the match relatively well. The two have played together on many different occasions in the past, and their chemistry works well together.
Having the midfielder play at centre-back as a one-off game would give Konate that extra buffer to rest and recover completely before stepping on to the pitch.
Obviously, the management staff would know more about Konate’s recovery than the author, but there is simply no reason for Real Madrid to take a risk on the Frenchman, even if the risk is minimal.
Considering the match against Barcelona is around the corner, it seems like a risk simply not worth taking, however small it may be.
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