Uruguay boss Diego Forlan explains Federico Valverde benching after talks with Real Madrid

Uruguay boss Diego Forlan explains Federico Valverde benching after talks with Real Madrid Federico Valverde was a surprisingly left out on the bench as Uruguay secured an impressive 2-1 friendly win over Argentina during the international break. The decision to leave out the Real Madrid captain raised eyebrows, given his importance to the national team under new boss Diego Forlan. However, Uruguay coach Diego Forlan shed light on why he decided to bench Valverde, adding that the federation had spoken to both the player and the club. Forlan on the Valverde decision Forlan had no desire to overburden Valverde. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images) Forlan revealed that he wanted to manage the workload of Valverde, as the player has featured extensively at Real Madrid in recent weeks. “I had a chat with Valverde and we decided that he would not start against Argentina and would come on during the game, but it’s obvious that we talk to the players’ teams,” he said (h/t Defensa Central ). The Uruguay coach was keen to stress, however, that such communication with clubs is standard practice and by no means unique to Valverde. “Communication with the clubs’ medical services has to exist because we ask the players to come since they belong to their teams,” he added. Forlan also stated that he was keen on speaking to Valverde as to how he felt about the decision. He held that conversation as soon as the Uruguay camp got under way, and was satisfied it was the right course of action. “Seeing the situation and how he was feeling, it was much better to do it this way,” he said. A key man for Mourinho Mourinho has transformed Valverde into a top-quality right-back. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) Diego Forlan’s level-headed approach is welcome news for Real Madrid, who consider Valverde to be an integral part of the team’s recent success. Jose Mourinho, in particular, has relied heavily on the Uruguayan international in the right-back position, ahead of established options such as Denzel Dumfries and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Valverde has repaid Mourinho’s trust, providing a string to consistent performances. It has come to a point where Mourinho believes the versatile can further elevate his game in the right-back position by becoming more active in the final third. Nevertheless, with Valverde getting a much-needed breather during the break, it will be interesting to see how he performs when Uruguay take on the Dominican Republic in their next friendly.