Real Madrid summer signing’s lack of minutes down to a ‘physical issue’

Real Madrid summer signing’s lack of minutes down to a ‘physical issue’ Bernardo Silva’s lack of minutes over the past month has been seemingly inexplicable, for the player has barely been given chances to prove himself as a regular starter despite being a marquee midfield signing. In the team’s recent game against Villarreal, he did not even come off the bench despite the game situation, and word soon spread that the player has not been living up to his hype behind the scenes. There was, in that sense, a growing concern that Silva was slowly phasing out of Jose Mourinho’s plans even before planting a foot in them. Now, however, journalist Abraham P Romero on Ramon Alvarez’s stream , shares a different side of the story. Not ready to play heavy minutes Silva’s prominence has been limited. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images) As relayed by the Spanish journalist, the Portuguese midfielder’s lack of minutes in recent weeks is down to a physical issue and is unrelated to a hypothetical drop in level.  In fact, the report adds that Silva could have indeed played a few minutes and made an impact at the weekend if the situations were different. Mourinho has not lost faith in the player. The coaching staff see Silva as training well and playing at a good level. However, they believe he is not ready to push himself physically and play long minutes, which is the reason he is not being given a starting berth. Los Blancos are taking matters slowly with him. Could Silva play a role tonight? Mourinho and Co. face a different challenge tonight. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) Facing an unbeaten Roma side in the UEFA Champions League later today, Real Madrid will have to be solid in midfield to ensure they are not outplayed and have enough of the ball to create chances of value. Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde are expected to start in central midfield on the night, especially given how Real Madrid manager Mourinho sees them as his best double-pivot pairing. If recent games are anything to go by, however, the French-Uruguayan pairing has not stood out as a special connection in midfield and has often fallen short in terms of the creative and controlling aspects of the game. Silva, in that sense, would be a valuable option to add control to Real Madrid’s midfield, and it will be interesting to see if the manager counts on the player in any capacity on the night.