José Mourinho is beginning to draw conclusions about this Real Madrid side. Not only about the strengths and weaknesses of a team that has yet to find its best version, but also with an eye on the long term. Raúl Asencio is not the only player facing a season with limited playing time.
Another day of work at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground. More and more internationals are returning to a squad focused on the game against Villarreal. It is a final in every sense of the word, but we could see some rotation following an extremely demanding international break for some of the team’s key players. The latest news is that José Mourinho’s coaching staff are beginning to look beyond Raúl Asencio. He is not the only player facing a season with limited playing time.
The defender has already undergone surgery on his tibia injury. José Mourinho ruled him out for the remainder of 2026. His significant salary and the lack of offers capable of covering it in a loan deal prevented him from leaving the club. He is not the only one, as reports indicate, that the Special One does not have in his plans for a significant portion of the season.
According to The Athletic, Raúl Asencio has the same status internally within Real Madrid’s coaching staff as Andriy Lunin. The Ukrainian goalkeeper has yet to play a minute this season. This is notable considering that, over the last four seasons, he has never made fewer than 12 appearances for Real Madrid’s first team. The sources report that the coaching staff are not entirely convinced by his current situation.
If Real Madrid want to part ways with both players, the situation could be far from easy. Lunin is under contract until 2030, while Raúl Asencio’s deal runs until 2031. Although the central defender earns several million more than the Ukrainian, there are not many clubs capable of matching the salaries they currently receive at Valdebebas. Mourinho is beginning to draw conclusions with the future in mind.
Mourinho’s assessment of Lunin is somewhat surprising. Not only because of the reliability the Ukrainian has demonstrated for several years at Los Blancos, but also because he is one of the most popular figures in the dressing room and among supporters, who regard him as the hero of the club’s most recent Champions League triumph. He had to replace the injured Thibaut Courtois for much of that campaign and produced outstanding performances against teams such as Manchester City and Bayern Munich.
Only time will tell what happens with both players, but their lack of minutes under José Mourinho’s new cycle at Real Madrid is gradually becoming easier to understand. Los Blancos are heading into a month in which a demanding fixture schedule will force the team to rotate.
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