São Paulo

The Royal Club returns to training today

More than ten days remain before La Liga resumes, yet Real Madrid return to training today, Monday, at Valdebebas as they prepare for Villarreal on the tenth of October.

 Mourinho sanctioned a week's rest for the Whites after their defeat in the Madrid derby. They are scheduled to begin work at 10:30 in the morning.

 Only seven first-team players will open the session: Courtois, Lunin, Carreras, Asensio, Rüdiger, Tchouaméni and Thiago Pitarch. The rest, sidelined by injury or away on international duty, will join the group next week.

These are the tools available to the Portuguese coach as he begins the next stage of the season. It is not decisive, but it is extremely important. Beyond difficult fixtures like Villarreal or the Champions League trip to Roma at the Olimpico, the run ends with Barcelona at the Camp Nou on 25 October, a game that, as things stand, could shape the entire race for the La Liga title.

The newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" confirmed that Real Madrid have room for improvement until then. They also know they must work on plenty, above all the areas where the team falls well short.

Building attacks is one of the main problems, and Mourinho seems unable to find a solution. Absorbed in his work, the Portuguese coach has thought hard over the past few days, hunting for the optimal combination among the players in his squad.

 The coming matches may bring new instructions for the players and, more importantly, some difficult decisions.

Here is a good chance to test whether the Portuguese coach can show the character expected of him and drop important players such as Vinícius, especially with his performances falling short at the start of the season.

The Brazilian's situation is a real dilemma. The memory of last season is still fresh, when Xabi Alonso tried something similar and the player stated clearly in front of the cameras during the Clásico that he "would leave the team".

Good news is on its way, too. Éder Militão is now on the verge of returning to training after his injury and surgery on his knee tendon on 28 April, which cost him the World Cup with Brazil.

 Indispensable when at his best, this defender will strengthen the competition in the defensive line. He may in turn create some gaps in a position Mourinho seemed to have firmly under control, though the derby defeat dented that.