Jose Mourinho Raises Injury Concerns Over Three-Week International Break

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has voiced concern about the long September international period, saying the disruption will make it difficult for clubs to manage players’ workloads. BBC Sport reported his comments on Saturday after Mourinho addressed the issue during a news conference at Real Madrid’s training base ahead of the club’s third LaLiga match of the season.

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Mourinho said players could be away from their clubs for almost three weeks. His greater concern was not necessarily those selected to play regularly, but those who join national-team camps and receive limited match time. Real Madrid’s official account of the news conference said the coach regarded that lengthy separation from club training as a complicated situation.

The Portuguese coach indicated that communication with national-team staffs could help reduce the uncertainty. He cited his relationship with Carlo Ancelotti and said they may exchange GPS information while players are away. Mourinho acknowledged that he does not have the same level of trust or direct contact with every coach, although he said clubs must rely on their professionalism and care for the players.

Mourinho also linked the international period to potential injury problems, while stopping short of predicting that any specific player would be sidelined. He said injuries can happen during international duty or shortly after players return, when their established training balance has been interrupted. He presented the schedule as a concern Real Madrid must accept rather than something the club can change.

The issue comes during an uneven start to the club season for members of Mourinho’s squad. He said players had arrived after different pre-season programmes, but maintained that Real Madrid have enough depth to manage those variations. Mourinho confirmed Marc Cucurella would start against Málaga, with Álvaro Carreras moving to the bench after featuring against Espanyol and Real Sociedad.

Mourinho used the left-back options as an example of the solutions available to him, noting that Carreras could replace Cucurella if the starter tired later in the match. Real Madrid’s official website said the Málaga fixture is scheduled for Sunday at the Bernabéu on matchday three. Despite his reservations about the coming international window, Mourinho said he was very pleased with the squad’s work after only a couple of weeks together.