Real Madrid do not have far to go before their pre-season officially comes to a close and their La Liga opener against Espanyol gets underway.
Jose Mourinho has had a very productive pre-season upon his return to the club, with the Portuguese tactician slowly recovering his entire squad.
Madrid have also had the challenge of integrating as many as six new signings into the squad, which is rarely a piece of cake.
One player who still has not featured under Jose Mourinho is Aurelien Tchouameni, with the Frenchman recovering from some muscular discomfort.
Now, according to Arancha Rodriguez, Tchouameni is expected to recover in time for Real Madrid’s opening La Liga game against Espanyol.
Tchouameni is not far away from a full recovery
Tchouameni was among the final group of Madrid players to return following his extended involvement at the World Cup.
However, the midfielder was unable to immediately join Jose Mourinho’s full training sessions after experiencing muscular discomfort.
Tchouameni will be fit for the La Liga opener. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
Madrid have consequently been careful with his workload rather than taking unnecessary risks during pre-season.
The 26-year-old carried a problem throughout Les Bleus’ World Cup campaign and missed out on some of his nation’s important games.
Important boost for Jose
Having Tchouameni available would be particularly important for Mourinho given the uncertainty surrounding his preferred midfield combination.
Madrid missed out on Rodri, who chose Barcelona as his preferred destination, leaving Mourinho to construct his midfield using the options already available to him.
Tchouameni is one of the squad’s most natural defensive midfielders and has been an important presence since arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2022.
His physicality, defensive coverage and ability to protect the back line could make him particularly useful if Mourinho persists with the double-pivot system he has been working on during pre-season.
Competition remains intense in midfield
Real Madrid have been careful with Tchouameni’s fitness. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Tchouameni will still have considerable competition once fully fit.
Fede Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Bernardo Silva and Arda Guler are among Mourinho’s alternatives, while youngster Thiago Pitarch is also expected to remain involved with the senior squad.
That gives the Portuguese coach several possible combinations depending on what he wants from his midfield.
Tchouameni has also previously played in central defence, although Jose will hope that he does not find himself in a situation where he needs to use the Frenchman there.
There is also some chatter surrounding his future, but Madrid have made it clear that the 26-year-old will stay unless an extraordinary offer comes in.
Having Tchouameni back is a major boost for Los Blancos, and it remains to be seen how many minutes he is available to play against Espanyol.