Jose Mourinho has settled on his insurance policy for the season, and it is not about star power. Rather, it is about survival.
According to a report from Defensa Central, the Real Madrid manager has identified a specific group of players, namely, Eduardo Camavinga, Alvaro Carreras, Brahim Diaz and new arrival Yan Diomande, as the players he intends to lean on to keep his squad fresh and competitive across a demanding 2026/27 campaign.
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As per the outlet, this is supposed to be a direct response to a problem that has haunted Real Madrid for the best part of two seasons.
What’s the story?
It must be remembered that Real Madrid have recorded more than a hundred injuries since 2024, a run of fitness setbacks that has disrupted team continuity and forced coaches into reactive squad management.
Mourinho, by contrast, appears intent on getting ahead of it.
Camavinga will be a crucial rotation option for Mourinho. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
That thinking was already visible against Malaga, where Real Madrid ran out 4-0 winners after Mourinho made five changes to his starting XI from the previous game against Real Sociedad.
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Notably, it was not a one-off selection call. It looked like a preview of how he plans to manage the campaign.
As such, the likes of Camavinga and Brahim Diaz offer Mourinho midfield and attacking cover from already established players, while Carreras and Diomande represent something slightly different: dependable rotation options who can also push senior starters for their place.
Diomande, still adapting after his move to the club, currently operates from the bench, but his profile is exactly what Mourinho wants in reserve.
Mourinho counts on everyone
Carreras has become one of the more significant developments of Real Madrid’s start to the season.
Yan Diomande is still settling at Real Madrid. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
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He is now viewed as a genuine alternative at left-back, competing directly with Cucurella for minutes rather than simply deputising when needed.
That kind of internal competition is precisely what Mourinho is trying to build across the pitch.
Diomande’s role speaks to a different concern: protecting Madrid’s attacking output.
His profile going forward gives Mourinho a way to manage the physical workload of his main forwards without a significant drop in attacking threat.
Put together, it is a direct answer to the injury numbers that have piled up since 2024, and an attempt to stop fatigue-related fitness issues from deciding Madrid’s season before it reaches its most important stretch.
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