José Mourinho sat down ahead of Real Madrid's home clash with Malaga tomorrow, Sunday, at the Bernabéu in the third round of the Spanish league. The Real Madrid manager tackled his squad's condition, the situation of Yan Diomande and the relationship between Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé.
Asked about the team's physical state during his pre-match press conference, Mourinho said: "There are players, as I always repeat, who have undergone different training. We have a strong squad capable of making up for these problems."
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He continued: "I will give you an example: tomorrow, Cucurella will start the match, and Carreras, who put in a good performance against Espanyol and Real Sociedad, will be on the substitutes' bench. If Cucurella feels fatigued, then Álvaro will be ready to come on. This is the kind of solutions that a squad like this provides for the coach."
On Diomande, he said: "I will not talk more about players individually. Diomande arrived late, and he had a difficult summer. He did not train with Leipzig, and when he arrived, he had no base to build on, so he is progressing gradually. He has already had some playing time, and this is what he needs to develop. Tomorrow he will start or come on as a substitute. He is getting more and more ready."
Turning to whether the Vinícius and Mbappé partnership can improve, Mourinho explained: "It is a collective effort. The secret lies in quality, and we have exceptional quality. Another point, although secondary but no less important, is the mutual understanding between them. There must be a great deal of understanding, friendship and cooperation. When these qualities are combined with exceptional quality, you have everything you need to keep developing."
The Portuguese coach added: "The dynamic is not just 2+9, it is 11. This dynamic will push them, and push everyone, to deliver a better performance. I am extremely happy after just two weeks of working with them both."
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