Mourinho on the departure of the Real Madrid star: I love him and I want to work with him

Who is he?

José Mourinho has settled the question of Endrick's future. Real Madrid's head coach has thrown his weight behind the young Brazilian striker, ruling out any exit by sale or loan despite a flurry of enquiries from other clubs.

Endrick's recent absence, Mourinho explained, comes down to a minor tendon inflammation. The call is precautionary, taken to stop the problem worsening rather than in response to anything serious.

"It is a case of minor tendon inflammation, just precautionary measures to avoid a bigger problem," the Real Madrid coach said. "I admire him a great deal, and I have received many enquiries about him, but I do not want to sell or loan him. He is very talented."

That stance draws a line under the speculation around Endrick, fuelled by his limited minutes early in the campaign. Mourinho views the Brazilian as a key attacking option for the months ahead.

He also floated the idea of pairing Endrick with Carlos Espai and Mbappé up front. The opponent and the nature of the match will shape his selection, he said, with the players' contrasting qualities handing him more than one tactical route.

Real Sociedad are next up tomorrow in La Liga. The fixture arrives in the middle of a packed run that leaves Madrid cramming matches into a short window.

Mourinho does not see that pressure as unfair. Pushing the start of the season back a week for clubs with a heavy World Cup contingent was, in his view, a sound decision, and professional teams are expected to cope with three games a week.

Readiness is what decides his team, the Portuguese insisted. If the data or a player's physical state shows he cannot go, someone else steps in.

Fede Valverde's role came up too. The Uruguayan can cover more than one position, Mourinho said, but his natural home is midfield, with other roles available depending on what each match demands.