Bernardo Silva’s Real Madrid role vanishes after dramatic start to season

Bernardo Silva has become an unexpected outcast at Real Madrid, having played only eight minutes for the club and seven for Portugal since 12 September.

During that period, Real Madrid and Portugal have played seven matches between them, yet the midfielder’s involvement has been negligible and, on some occasions, non-existent. Spanish newspaper Sport described the situation as both surprising and increasingly difficult to explain.

Silva began the season as an important part of manager Jose Mourinho’s plans. He was given a flexible role intended to improve the speed and fluidity of Real Madrid’s passing, with his ability to operate in different positions viewed as a possible solution to some of the team’s shortcomings in recent seasons.

All the early indications suggested the Portugal international would become a central figure in Mourinho’s side throughout the campaign and one of the club’s most significant summer signings. However, just two months into the season, he appears to have slipped out of the manager’s thinking.

Mourinho has instead opted for a physically stronger midfield pairing in Fede Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni, both of whom offer considerable mobility. Arda Guler’s good form has also reduced Silva’s opportunities, while Real Madrid have several players capable of operating in the advanced positions behind the striker.

Mourinho questioned Silva’s fitness in August, doing so with a sarcastic remark.

“He is a very important player for us, but the poor thing is another one of those who like doing nothing during the holidays. Doing nothing in his free time did him good, so he came back in worse physical condition and has to improve,” Mourinho said.

Two months have passed since those comments, which were made at the beginning of August, but the uncertainty surrounding Silva has only grown.

His limited appearances for Portugal have further suggested that fitness may be the main reason for his absence. Even so, his situation remains difficult to understand given his status as a former Manchester City star and a player who has traditionally been a regular starter.

Silva’s current involvement stands in sharp contrast to his record since making his professional debut for Monaco in 2014. He has played between 44 and 58 matches in each season since then and has been in the starting line-up for almost all of them.

The midfielder has typically exceeded 3,000 minutes in a season, reaching 4,000 in some campaigns. At Real Madrid this season, however, he has played only 282 minutes, with most of those appearances coming during the opening weeks.

That decline has come while Real Madrid lack a midfielder who can consistently offer greater vision in possession, move into space and make himself available to team-mates.

The reasons for Silva’s disappearance therefore remain unclear, with the coming months set to determine how successful Real Madrid’s decision to sign him ultimately proves.