Following four days of rest: Mourinho draws up a plan to prepare for Real Madrid

Clearing the mind and preparing for the future: the "Special One" motto

Real Madrid's Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho is using the international break to give his players a breather after defeat in the Madrid derby at the Metropolitano, drawing up an individual plan for each man with an eye on the phase ahead.

Clear the mind and prepare for the future. That is the motto at Valdebebas during this long break. Mourinho wants the next two weeks to serve two purposes: letting his players unwind after the loss to Atletico Madrid, and, at the same time, kicking off individual preparation for what lies ahead, according to the newspaper "Marca".

There will be no uniform training programme at Valdebebas. Each player will follow his own schedule based on his individual needs.

Even before the derby defeat, the Portuguese had agreed to grant the players four days of rest. They return tomorrow, Friday, and then begin a programme designed specifically for them, the aim being to make this break a productive one.

Some will get more rest. Others will keep training. And a few will use these two weeks for specific sessions they could not complete during pre-season.

The players remaining at Real Madrid include Courtois, Lunin, Asensio, Militao, Carreras, Rudiger, Mendy, Valverde, Tchouameni, Thiago and Rodrygo.

None of them will follow the same schedule or workload. The coaching staff will tailor training sessions and individual days to each player. This is not only about rest but about using the period to prepare properly for the phase ahead.

Things look different for the injured players. Militao, Rodrygo and Mendy must keep visiting Valdebebas throughout the week to complete their recovery programmes. There is no room for rest here. The idea is to use every day to build their physical fitness.

According to the same newspaper, Valverde will also take on special training sessions during this period, while Asensio undergoes tests to determine whether or not he needs surgery, depending on how his shin bone injury develops.

Tchouameni's case is a telling one. The French midfielder now gets the chance to complete part of the pre-season work he missed, in a bid to rediscover his best form.

Mourinho's problem is that the task will be limited. A big chunk of his squad will be away from Valdebebas, with fifteen Real Madrid players called up by their national teams for international matches across September and October.

Two weeks with a depleted squad await, but Mourinho is determined to make the most of them. The aim goes beyond restoring injured players to full fitness or resting those who need it. He also wants to build the side that will contest the upcoming matches. Several youth team players will feature in that work, handed another opportunity with the first team.