Real Madrid's Midfield Strategy Without Tchouameni
Real Madrid are learning to live without Aurelien Tchouameni. Jose Mourinho is making sure of it.
The French midfielder has not played a minute this season, still battling the physical issue that has followed him since the World Cup with France, where his minutes were carefully managed. The problem has now settled in the groin area, a lingering discomfort born from a heavy summer workload with the national team.
Tchouameni wants back in. Mourinho is not listening.
Mourinho draws a hard line
With Tchouameni sidelined, Mourinho has turned to Federico Valverde and Bernardo Silva as his holding midfield duo. It is a solution, not a long-term plan. The coach’s message, though, is clear: no shortcuts, no gambles.
According to Bernabeu Digital, Real Madrid have decided they will not take any unnecessary risks with the 26-year-old, even as the player pushes to accelerate his return. Mourinho has mapped out a strict recovery plan and will not clear Tchouameni until he is completely ready.
His workload will rise step by step. No fixed comeback date. No emotional decisions.
The stance underlines how central Mourinho considers Tchouameni to his project. He sees the Frenchman’s physical power, his ability to cover ground and protect the back line, and the balance he brings as essential to the structure of his midfield. A future partnership with Valverde at the base of the team is very much in his mind.
That is why Madrid are ready to do without him for several matches if needed, rather than rush him back and risk turning a manageable problem into a long-term absence.
Long season, long view
At this point in the campaign, it is a calculated approach that makes sense. Madrid have depth in midfield. They can cope without Tchouameni now.
Losing him for months because of a relapse later, when the calendar tightens and the stakes rise, would be far more damaging.
There had been some uncertainty around his future, especially when Madrid were linked with Rodri, but that noise has quietened. The club’s plan is now built around Tchouameni. His task is to be patient, even if he feels ready to push harder.
There is still no definitive date for his return. If it takes another month, so be it. When he comes back, Mourinho wants him at full fitness, not at 80%.
The Portuguese coach is determined not to repeat the injury problems of last season, when players were hurried back and broke down again. This time, he is leaving nothing to chance.
The missing profile in midfield
While Tchouameni recovers, another debate is simmering in the background: whether Madrid still lack one specific type of midfielder.
They have spent heavily this summer and added quality across the pitch, yet Mourinho’s squad still does not have a natural controller at the base of midfield, a player who dictates tempo and knits everything together.
Rodri was the chosen one. The club had moved along the path to sign the Manchester City midfielder, only to see him opt for Barcelona instead.
Now, attention has turned to another name. According to Defensa Central, former Real Madrid player Alvaro Benito believes Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi is exactly the profile Mourinho is missing.
Zubimendi, the organiser
Benito’s case for Zubimendi is not built on spectacular numbers or highlight-reel moments. It is about what he brings to the collective: positioning, intelligence, and clarity in possession.
The Spain international adds bite as well – competitiveness, strength in duels, qualities Mourinho has always valued.
Madrid’s midfield is already stacked with talent. Valverde brings relentless energy. Jude Bellingham dominates higher up the pitch. Tchouameni, when fit, offers defensive security and physical presence.
Zubimendi, though, would be something different. A pure organiser. A midfielder whose main contribution is to give structure, to make the others around him better.
Benito even describes him as perhaps the closest available alternative to Rodri on the market. His verdict is simple: if Madrid can get him, and if Mourinho approves, they should not hesitate. “Zubimendi makes those around him better,” the former midfielder has argued.
Door closed for now, but not forever
For the moment, a move looks remote. The report indicates that Real Madrid consider their squad effectively closed. At Valdebebas, nobody is expecting late arrivals or shock exits before the window shuts.
Arsenal have also shut the door, unwilling to let the 27-year-old leave this summer.
Even so, Benito believes Madrid should be ready to move if the situation changes and Zubimendi becomes attainable with Mourinho’s blessing. If not now, then later.
Because this is not a name to cross off the list. The feeling around the club’s observers is that Zubimendi is a player who would always improve this Madrid midfield, whether this summer, next year, or beyond.
As Tchouameni works his way back and Mourinho waits for his anchor to return, the question lingers over the Bernabeu: is the final piece of this midfield puzzle already in London, just waiting for the right moment to be prised away?
