Just Real Madrid News

Real Madrid face the biggest game of the season so far tomorrow, and it seems as if Jose Mourinho will have fewer players to choose from than he would like. Luka Modric, who was the star of the show as Madrid came from behind to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford, is a real doubt. To add to the problems, the Brazilian left back Marcelo looks like missing both legs.  ......Read more...

The one thing that Real Madrid have had going for them recently is the form of the Portuguese striker Ronaldo. It was clear when he was suspended against Osasuna just how much the team relies on him. Not just for his goals, 28 already this season, but his all round performance.

That is not good enough for Jose Mourinho, apparently, as he laid into his star player after the Spanish cup game against Valencia. Video shows Mourinho becoming exasperated during the second half of the game. He was unhappy at some of the decisions made by Ronaldo going forward and felt that he was failing in his duties tracking back and helping the Brazilian left back Marcelo.  ......Read more...

Real Madrid have had plenty of problems with injuries this season, especially in defence, but it is disciplinary issues which are causing Jose Mourinho problems this weekend. Two of the most important players for the Spanish champions are unavailable for the trip to Pamplona to play Osasuna.

Christiano Ronaldo has been the most influential player by far for Los Blancos this season, but he received his fifth yellow card of the season against Real Sociedad last weekend so is suspended for today’s match. At least Mourinho has his two other strikers, Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema, available after the Argentinean has recovered from his hamstring problem.  ......Read more...

Real Madrid were well represented at the award gala for the FIFA Ballon D’Or yesterday. Jose Mourinho was nominated for best coach, along with Vicente Del Bosque of the Spain national team, and Pep Guardiola of Barcelona. Christiano Ronaldo was up for the main award of best player along with Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta of Barcelona, but Mourinho and Ronaldo were overlooked, as Messi won again and Del Bosque got the coach’s award.  ......Read more...

Jose Mourinho did not have the best end to 2012, finishing the year third in the Primera Liga table and trailing main rivals Barcelona by 16 points. Not only that but the Spanish media was full of stories about arguments in the dressing room and Mourinho had been involved in a bust up with prominent journalist. Having finished second in the champions league group, we got a nasty knockout draw against Manchester United.  ......Read more...

Jose Mourinho has another left back dilemma on his hands as he takes his Real Madrid side to play Valladolid tomorrow. With his preferred left back, the Brazilian Marcelo still on the sidelines after an operation, Mourinho was glad to have got Fabio Coentrao back into the team, but the Portuguese defender is now also injured, leaving the Special One a headache as he cannot afford to drop any points in La Liga.  ......Read more...

Jose Mourinho already has one of his former players from Chelsea in the Real Madrid squad, and could soon add the left back Ashley Cole, according to reports. Mourinho has a good relationship with the players who enjoyed great success with during his time in London.

Michael Essien was brought into the squad in the summer, despite not having played alot for Chelsea, but Mourinho knows the Ghanaian and trusts his talents. This was proved on Saturday when he picked Essien at left back against Celta de Vigo. Essien is not a left back, and Mourinho had called Nacho into the squad from the reserves but gave the starting place to the former Chelsea man. This means that Essien is also likely to start against Dortmund on Wednesday.  ......Read more...

Real Madrid have defensive problems today, after losing Marcelo, Coentrao and Arbeloa from the defence. The international break has not been kind to Jose Mourinho and the Special One will be hoping that his team can cause enough problems going forward to negate the defensive problems.

Christiano Ronaldo has some extra incentives to get on the scoresheet and he is a player who often responds to such things favourably. At the minute there are three players tied at the top of the goal scoring charts in La Liga, with Ronaldo, Messi and Falcao all having scored eight league goals so far.  ......Read more...

Jose Mourinho will not want any more international games for some time, after losing three defenders during this break. Both of the central strikers for Real Madrid also picked up knocks but they are not as serious.

Having already lost Marcelo for three months and Coentrao for a month, Mourinho was having to think about shifting around his remaining defenders to accommodate. Last night we lost our right back Arbeloa to a muscle problem and he could be out for three weeks.  ......Read more...

Jose Mourinho has a serious problem to deal with after both of his left backs for Real Madrid picked up injuries during their international games. Three other players have picked up knocks but it is the left side of defence that is going to be a problem for up to three months.

Marcelo played for Brazil in their friendly against Iraq and was training for the game against Japan yesterday when he broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. Doctors predict that he will miss around three months with his recovery. That will take us up to the January transfer window but there is no chance of replacing him before then.  ......Read more...