Real Madrid face problems at centre-back position heading into Villarreal clash

Real Madrid face problems at centre-back position heading into Villarreal clash Once the three-week international break comes to an end, Real Madrid will return to competitive action on 10 October with a La Liga game against Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu. Having lost their previous match against Atletico Madrid just before the international window, the Merengues know they cannot afford any more slip-ups, having already slipped down to fourth place in the table, four points below leaders FC Barcelona. But, heading into the clash against the Yellow Submarine, Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho currently face a serious problem at centre-back. Runninng out of options Indeed, as things stand, Los Blancos could face Villarreal with only one fit and available senior central defender. Dean Huijsen, who has been a permanent fixture in defence this season under Mourinho, will miss the match as he is suspended following his sending-off in the derby. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate is recovering from the injury he suffered with France, so it remains to be seen whether he will be fit in time for the La Liga encounter. Raul Asencio set to undergo surgery. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images) And, as confirmed earlier today , Raul Asencio is set to undergo surgery on his fractured tibia, which will rule him out of action for at least a couple of months. Eder Militao’s situation is also uncertain. Although he has returned to training with the team during the ongoing international break, he has not played since last April and will not be rushed back into on-field action. All this leaves Real Madrid veteran Antonio Rudiger as Mourinho’s only fully fit senior centre-back at present. It must be noted that the veteran German is no longer an automatic starter, and the club are being cautious with him as well because of the history of problems affecting his knees. Antonio Rudiger the only fit senior centre-back as of now. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images) What are Mourinho’s options? There is still plenty of time before the Villarreal match, but given the situation, Mourinho could find himself relying on Konate and Militao immediately after their respective injuries, with the associated risk of a recurrence. Another possible option would be to use Aurelien Tchouameni at centre-back, as Carlo Ancelotti did in the past. Alternatively, Alvaro Carreras could also be used as a makeshift central defender, like was last season by Xabi Alonso. The Real Madrid manager could also turn to the academy for a solution, having trusted Mario Rivas during pre-season, while also giving some minutes to Joan Martinez.