3 key midfield questions that Jose Mourinho will answer in Real Madrid's first match vs. Espanyol

At Real Madrid this summer, most of the talk has been surrounding Jose Mourinho's midfield. Real's midfield has been one of the main topics of conversation ever since the departures of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric as the team has still failed to adapt to life without the two legends. Mourinho demanded midfield reinforcements this summer but only one arrived in the form of Bernardo Silva on a free transfer.

With that being the only reinforcement Mourinho will have to make due with the midfielders at his disposal and work some of his classic Jose magic to fix the issue that has been plaguing the team for the last two seasons.

Mourinho still has some big decisions to make before matchday one

With the start of the new season rapidly approaching, Jose still has a number of major decisions to make with his midfield, decisions that could determine how this season plays out for Real Madrid, with trophies on everyone's mind.

1. Who starts at 10, Bellingham or Arda Guler?

This is the biggest decision Jose Mourinho will have to make with his midfield with both players having strong cases for the starting role. Guler finished the season strong and has had an impressive pre-season and much more time under Mourinho this pre-season compared to Bellingham which could play into Guler's favor. However Bellingham is an undisputed cornerstone piece at Real Madrid and off the back of his incredible World Cup campaign, he's made himself almost undroppable.

Both add loads on the attacking front, however Bellingham's defensive work rate could prove to be crucial for Mourinho with no summer reinforcement coming in that area. As things stand it looks like the Englishman is slightly ahead of Guler in the pecking order, but knowing Mourinho anything can change at any time.

2. Who partners Fede Valverde?

With all of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, and Casemiro now gone Real Madrid are very much in the new generation of their midfield with Fede Valverde being a focal point of that midfield. The Uruguyan plays more of a box to box role but who his partner is playing the deep laying, defensive role is a question that needs answering this season. With no arrival of a player like Rodri it looks like Mourinho will have to rely on one of Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, or even Bernardo Silva to play in the pivot with Valverde, but who will it be? Tchouameni is the player that naturally fits that role but with a solid pre-season from Camavinga, we could see a bounce back season from the Frenchman under the new manager.

3. Will we finally have midfield stability?

For us who grew up watching the Kroos-Casemiro-Modric midfield trio all we knew was midfield stablity but in the seasons without the legends the midfield has been the weakest link and fans just want that stability back. A combination of injuries and clash in styles has left previous managers scratching their heads trying to find the perfect balance we once saw at Real Madrid, and for Jose Mourinho, the season opener against Espanyol will be a big test for the manager to work his magic and find that midfield balance once again.

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