Getty Images Sport
Ahmad Salah
Nov 10, 2026 06:05+08:00
Translated by Morocco
In the picture: four players worrying Mourinho during the international break
Real Madrid vs Celta Vigo
Real Madrid
Celta Vigo
LaLiga
Vinicius Junior
J. Mourinho
K. Mbappe
Y. Diomande
T. Pitarch
B. Diaz
Endrick
Spain
Brazil
Portugal
France
Côte d'Ivoire
Morocco
6 gruelling days for the Real Madrid stars
Next matches
RMA
LaLiga
22 Nov 2026 04:00
CEL
José Mourinho believes the current international break may serve Real Madrid, but only if national team coaches handle the Spanish giants' players according to each man's needs. The disparity is clear. Some need minutes to rebuild their fitness, while others have hit a level of fatigue that demands rest.
Spirits are high at the Bernabéu after eight consecutive wins across all competitions, the latest a 3-0 triumph over Valencia at the Mestalla. The Portuguese coach hopes his players carry that same form into international duty.
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Awaited opportunities during the international break
Mourinho wants the Brazilian Endrick and his compatriot Vinicius Junior, along with Morocco's Brahim Diaz and Tiago Pitarch (Spain Under-21), to play a prominent role for their national teams. They need the minutes, whether to keep their sharpness or rediscover their best form. This group doesn't worry the Portuguese coach one bit. If anything, he reckons international football could do them good.
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4 players give Mourinho cause for concern during the international break
Mourinho's concerns, meanwhile, centre on the players who have racked up the minutes, chief among them the quartet of Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Cucurella and Diomande. They need a rest during the international break. Real Madrid have just played three straight away matches in the space of six days, with all the strain of travel and back-to-back fixtures, according to a report by Defensa Central.
He had hinted at those worries after the win over Valencia, urging national team coaches not to handle his players the way they had of late and to factor in the fatigue they'd built up. The Portuguese coach said: "I must be humble, because La Liga holds the authority, and I ask them not to do the same thing to us. I don't want to describe it as something supernatural, because it is possible, but it is extremely difficult. And if they want to repeat this joke, let them do it with others, and leave us alone after the marathon of travel and matches we went through from Sunday to Saturday, it was too much."
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Mourinho's fears go beyond injuries
Mourinho did everything in his power to make his players and the national team coaches aware of the need to exercise caution during the international break, so that the pressure of matches would not affect the positive results Real Madrid are achieving. It has been a long time since the Royal club looked this stable at this stage of the season. Losing players to injuries had been a regular occurrence in recent seasons.
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Morocco in Focus: Four Players Worrying Mourinho During the International Break
