Real Madrid face a perilous encounter this Saturday evening against their guests Villarreal, in the eighth round of the Spanish league.
According to the newspaper "Sport", Real Madrid coach José Mourinho is hunting for a partner to play alongside Antonio Rüdiger in the heart of the defence against the Yellow Submarine.
The Royal club's defence is going through a sensitive period. Dean Huijsen will miss the match against Villarreal through suspension after his red card in the Madrid derby, while Raúl Asencio is absent after recently undergoing surgery.
Doubts hang over the readiness of Frenchman Ibrahima Konaté after he felt some pain. Éder Militão is the only player still proceeding according to the programme set for him.
German defender Antonio Rüdiger, meanwhile, is in excellent physical condition. He is focused on delivering his best for the team after retiring from international football.
Rüdiger kept working at the Valdebebas sports city during the international break, and he intends to maintain the reliability Mourinho expects of him whenever he is called upon.
There is cause for optimism in the squad, too. Fede Valverde, Kylian Mbappé and Ibrahima Konaté have all joined the group to face the Yellow Submarine.
The challenge for Mourinho is a simple one: gamble on the French centre-back, or turn to other options, such as pushing Aurélien Tchouaméni into the centre-back role.