Morocco's Brahim Diaz is suffering more and more at Real Madrid, with his chances of getting minutes on the pitch now lower than ever, particularly after Brazilian Endrick's striking display against Roma, a night when Madrid turned a deficit into a thrilling victory.
Trailing 3-1 with more than half an hour left, Jose Mourinho turned to every attacking option on his bench to rescue the situation. Every option but one. Brahim Diaz watched the comeback unfold without being given a chance to take part.
Roma's defence was fading when Mourinho sent on Endrick down the right flank, the very area Diaz usually occupies. The Brazilian delivered a strong half-hour that confirmed his advantage in the race for playing time.
Endrick made a telling impact thanks to his goal, his dribbling and his ability to link up with team-mates and create danger. He is now a direct rival to Diaz, whose presence has gradually declined as the weeks of the season have passed, according to a report published by Spanish newspaper "Marca" on Friday.
Only 178 minutes for Brahim Diaz
Diaz's declining role began in pre-season, despite being given room to take part in Mourinho's new project after returning early to training following Morocco's elimination in the World Cup quarter-finals.
Once the competitive matches got under way, though, the player found himself on the bench against Espanyol and did not play a single minute, despite the team's need at the time for attacking solutions to settle the game.
Ten matches into the season, Diaz's involvement has not exceeded 178 minutes spread across four games, making him one of the players in the squad with the fewest opportunities to play.
Carlos Espi, by contrast, has played 38 minutes across six matches and scored three goals, while Endrick has played 35 minutes in two matches and scored one.
The difference, though, is that Espi and Endrick have not started any match. Diaz was given the chance to appear in the starting line-up in the third round of the Spanish league, against Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu, as well as in the opening match of the Champions League campaign against Inter Milan.
Against Inter, Diaz played 79 minutes and produced a notable performance despite clear physical pain in his leg, a match that reflected his commitment and desire to help the team even when he is not at his best.
Of the total minutes he has played this season, 143 came in the two matches he started. He has not featured since 15 September, when he came on as a substitute against Elche with 23 minutes left to play.
His other most recent appearance came against Real Sociedad at the end of August, when he played 12 minutes, while Espi settled the matches against Elche and Espanyol with a goal in each.
Endrick moves ahead: Diaz's future grows more uncertain
Brahim Diaz has so far been unable to recover the level he showed during the 2023-2024 season, when he became one of the important solutions for coach Carlo Ancelotti, benefiting from the absence of Jude Bellingham and a number of other players, before choosing to represent the Morocco national team in the period in which he was enjoying his best form.
As time has gone on, the player has found himself behind several names in Mourinho's thinking. It is only natural that his role should diminish with the presence of Diomande, who joined for 140 million, while competing with Bellingham for the role behind Kylian Mbappe looks difficult, at a time when Arda Guler continues to produce performances that make leaving him out of the starting line-up a matter for debate.
Endrick's strong return has now complicated the Moroccan's position further, after the Brazilian forward showed his ability to add something in the right wing role, which is one of the options available to Diaz.
Mourinho had confirmed after the Roma match that Endrick leaving on loan during the winter transfer window was impossible, a statement that may reflect the coach's confidence in continuing to rely on the player.
With the winter transfer window approaching, the calculations inside Real Madrid may change. Endrick had been the player whose future was surrounded by doubts. Brahim Diaz is now the one searching for his place and his role in the team, given his absence from matches since mid-September and his dwindling chances of playing.