Sports

Mourinho Aims for Full Strength Ahead of Valencia Clash

By Karim Malim

Real Madrid will travel to the Mestalla on Saturday for the twelfth match of the Spanish league, where Valencia will host them. The Portuguese manager, Jose Mourinho, is determined not to lose a point, especially with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid scheduled to meet on Sunday. According to the Spanish newspaper AS, Mourinho is concerned about the limited recovery time his players have had after the Champions League match with AEK Athens. Nevertheless, he plans to field his strongest available side, aware of the difficulty of the fixture. In a press conference, Mourinho openly expressed his worries, describing the Valencia game as one of the toughest in the league, citing the experience and clear philosophy of Valencia’s coach and the hostile atmosphere at the Mestalla. The match carries extra significance for Real Madrid, as a win could allow them to exploit any slip by their rivals. Mourinho is expected to rely again on the line‑up that has performed well in recent weeks, particularly since the victory over Barcelona at Camp Nou, with some adjustments due to recent match circumstances. He rested key players against AEK Athens, notably Konate, Huijsen, Tchouameni and Arda Guler, the last two of whom did not travel to Greece. Konate and Huijsen should return to the centre‑back positions, replacing Militao and Rudiger who started in Europe. Tchouameni will cover for the absent Camavinga, and Guler will reclaim his spot in the starting eleven. Mourinho also plans to push Federico Valverde back to right‑back and deploy Diomande on the left flank, aiming to sharpen the attack and exploit his ability to break through Valencia’s defence. Up front, Kylian Mbappé is the clear choice; the Frenchman is on a remarkable scoring run, with eight goals in his last six matches, and he is the player Real Madrid will rely on to secure the result. According to AS, the expected line‑up is: Goalkeeper: Courtois. Defence: Valverde, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella. Midfield: Bernardo Silva, Tchouameni, Arda Guler, Bellingham, Diomande. Attack: Mbappé.