Mourinho faces Real Madrid selection dilemma as Diomande stakes claim

Yaan Diomande’s performances for Ivory Coast this week have reinforced the impression that the Real Madrid forward has solved a problem for Jose Mourinho after establishing himself in the starting line-up.

With Vinicius absent, Mourinho initially used Diomande on the right wing. The Ivorian impressed in matches against Rayo Vallecano and Elche, according to Marca, and was among Real Madrid’s outstanding players in both games.

His breakthrough came against Villarreal, when Vinicius began on the bench. The Brazilian was introduced after half-time but was later sent off, while Diomande caused major problems from the left and scored an excellent goal.

Diomande then remained on the left for the next four matches. He scored and assisted against Sevilla before finding the net again against Racing.

He also operated there against Leipzig, scoring once and providing an assist. In Real Madrid’s most recent match, against AEK Athens, Vinicius returned and Diomande switched back to the right. He did not score or assist before being substituted in the 67th minute.

The player continued in a prominent attacking role for Ivory Coast, wearing the number 10 shirt and completing the entire match. He started on the left alongside Elye Wahi and Nicolas Pepe, winning the ball on that flank before creating one of his side’s two goals against Gambia.

Vinicius return creates selection problem

Diomande’s four-match run in La Liga, during Vinicius’ suspension, gave him the opportunity to make the position on the left his own.

That period will now be tested when Vinicius returns against Celta Vigo at Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, 21 November.

“Decision time has arrived for Mourinho, who has always relied on Vinicius on the left and Diomande on the right,” Marca reported. “Naturally, that would remain the arrangement if both players started together.”

The difficulty is that using both alongside Kylian Mbappe would require Mourinho to leave out another player in a deeper position. Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva have all made significant progress in recent matches.

Leipzig offers Mourinho a possible solution

Mourinho believes Diomande can be most effective on the right, where he can use his stronger right foot. During last season with German club Leipzig, he played 1,591 minutes on that flank, compared with about 478 minutes on the left.

From the right, Diomande offers greater attacking depth. His dribbling, pace and strength allow him to run beyond defenders, reach the byline and deliver crosses into the area.

On the left, he tends to combine dribbling with diagonal movement inside, creating space to shoot with his preferred foot. He has already scored for Real Madrid from that side, both after organised attacks and after receiving passes from the right.

Mourinho recently addressed the selection issue while stressing the options available to him.

“Diomande can play on both sides, as can Brahim Diaz. Endrick tends to play more on the right, but he can also play on the left. Of all of them, Vinicius is the most accustomed to playing on the left wing,” he said.

Vinicius’ starting place will not be confirmed until match day. Mourinho trusts him but said 10 days ago that he would not announce in advance that the Brazilian would start.

Even before the suspension, the Portuguese manager had begun signalling concerns about Vinicius’ downturn in form. The forward now faces a fight to regain his place in the starting line-up.