Jose Mourinho appears to have a clear idea of the defensive line he wants to use in the Madrid derby against Atletico, with Denzel Dumfries reportedly having gained an advantage over Trent Alexander-Arnold for the right-back position.
Real Madrid returned to winning ways with a 4-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano and have made an impressive start to the season under Mourinho.
After their next La Liga match against Elche, Los Blancos will face their first major test of the season when they travel to the Metropolitano to take on Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.
According to Defensa Central, Mourinho currently prefers a defensive line consisting of Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, Dean Huijsen and Marc Cucurella.
The most notable decision is his reported preference for Dumfries over Alexander-Arnold. The Dutch defender is said to offer Mourinho greater defensive intensity, strength in aerial duels and the ability to quickly recover his position – qualities the Portuguese coach is expected to value particularly highly in an away derby against Atletico Madrid.
Alexander-Arnold is considered more dangerous on the ball and offers greater quality when it comes to building play, but Mourinho’s reported choice suggests that defensive security could be the priority in one of the most important matches of the season.
At centre-back, Konate and Huijsen are currently the pairing Mourinho trusts the most.
Konate brings pace, aggression and physical strength, while Huijsen stands out for his composure and ability to progress the ball from the back.
Antonio Rudiger remains an important alternative, but according to the report, the German currently ranks behind the Konate-Huijsen partnership in Mourinho’s preferences.
At left-back, Cucurella is expected to retain his place despite Alvaro Carreras’ impressive performance in the victory over Rayo Vallecano.
However, before the derby against Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid must also face Elche, which could force Mourinho to rotate his squad and carefully manage the workload of his key defenders.