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Mourinho manages heavy workload
Mourinho has openly expressed his frustration regarding a congested and demanding fixture schedule following a dramatic European night. Madrid managed to secure a hard-fought 3-2 victory against AEK Athens at the OPAP Arena during matchday four of the Champions League.
The result keeps their continental ambitions firmly on track, but the physical toll on the playing squad is becoming a major concern. The manager was forced into making sweeping alterations to his starting XI simply to cope with the relentless run of fixtures across multiple competitions. Specifically, five changes were made from their previous domestic outing just to navigate the tricky European tie in Athens.
Sweeping changes are inevitable
The intense football calendar shows absolutely no signs of slowing down as the season progresses towards the busy winter months. This reality is forcing the coaching staff to continuously shuffle their pack to avoid devastating injuries and widespread fatigue.
Mourinho admitted that further rotation is completely unavoidable as they prepare for another crucial weekend fixture. Maintaining peak physical condition remains the ultimate priority for the medical and coaching departments.
"We changed five players from Sunday to today," Mourinho explained during his post-match press conference. "From today to Saturday, we’re going to change four or five."
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Travelling takes a physical toll
The strict necessity to rotate the squad means several high-profile names will continually drop in and out of the starting lineup. Mourinho specifically named Dean Huijsen, Ibrahima Konate, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Arda Guler as individuals caught up in this demanding turnaround.
The logistical challenges of travelling across the continent for European fixtures have only added to the physical strain placed upon the players. Returning from Athens leaves the squad with a remarkably tight preparation window before their next match.
"It’s very tough to do it with just two days and with away matches," Mourinho added, highlighting the sheer difficulty of the situation. "But that’s how it is."
Crucial domestic trip awaits
Mourinho's men must now quickly recover and shift their complete focus back to pressing domestic matters. A difficult away trip awaits them, as they are set to travel to the Mestalla to face Valencia this Saturday.
Securing three points on the road will be vital for their ambitions at the top of the table. Los Blancos currently sit third in the Liga standings after collecting 27 points from their opening 11 matches of the campaign.