Real Madrid summer signing already losing prominence under Jose Mourinho

Real Madrid summer signing already losing prominence under Jose Mourinho Bernardo Silva was one of Real Madrid’s headline signings last summer. The Portuguese midfielder arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City and appeared destined to become the creative successor to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the middle of the park. Indeed, with the club having not signed a new central midfielder, many within Real Madrid saw the veteran star as a solution to the issue. Manager Jose Mourinho made him a starter from the very beginning in pre-season, but not in his usual role on the right. Instead, he deployed his compatriot as a deep-lying playmaker in the midfield double pivot. A change in circumstances Silva failed to have the expected influence when operating in a deeper role in midfield in the chances he got. Fading away already. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images) Combined with the emergence of Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return to fitness, the Portuguese international has now lost his place in the starting line-up and dropped to the bench. Bernardo’s situation became particularly striking against Villarreal this past Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu, when he did not play a single minute. Limited opportunities under Mourinho Bernardo has played six matches for Real Madrid, starting three and coming on as a substitute in another three. He did not feature against Villarreal or Elche, while his only appearance in the last three matches was a little over 10 minutes against Atletico Madrid. He was not used regularly by the Portugal national team during the international break either. Bernardo has played only 10 minutes across the last three games. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) Across Real Madrid’s eight La Liga fixtures, Silva has accumulated just 282 minutes of playing time. The Champions League now presents another opportunity for the former Manchester City captain, who has yet to make his European debut for Real Madrid this season. He missed the match against Inter Milan because he was still serving a suspension carried over from his time at the Etihad Stadium last season. It remains to be seen whether Mourinho will give him an opportunity against AS Roma in the coming week. For now, the midfielder’s reduced playing time suggests that the Portuguese coach has lost some of his faith in a player who arrived with high expectations after leaving Manchester City.