Real Madrid midfield mainstay to miss home opener against Real Sociedad

Real Madrid are preparing to make their long-awaited home debut of the new La Liga season, but Aurelien Tchouameni is increasingly unlikely to be part of the occasion.

As per MARCA, the French midfielder did not train with the rest of the squad on the eve of the Real Sociedad clash at the Santiago Bernabeu, casting further doubt over his availability. 

After already missing the league opener against Espanyol, Tchouameni now looks set to sit out another important fixture.

His absence is particularly notable because there had been signs of progress. 

The Real Madrid midfielder returned to group training yesterday, raising hopes that he was moving closer to a return. 

However, his failure to train again today suggests the club is not yet ready to push him back into action.

Tchouameni will miss the La Liga home opener vs Real Sociedad. (Photo by Pedro Salado/Getty Images)

Tchouameni had recovered from a minor injury last week and was able to train with the group before the match against Espanyol.

However, that did not convince Mourinho to include him.

The Real Madrid manager felt the midfielder was still short of full fitness and chose to leave him behind rather than risk aggravating the problem. 

His return to training yesterday appeared to be another step forward, but today’s absence from the group has made the situation clear once again.

Simply put, Tchouameni is still working his way back.

The expectation is that he will once again miss the Real Madrid squad for the Real Sociedad game, although the final decision will depend on Mourinho and the medical staff.

Tchouameni also missed the Espanyol game (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)

Speaking before the match, Mourinho offered a detailed explanation of why Real Madrid have chosen to take a cautious approach.

The Portuguese coach pointed to the physical demands Tchouameni faced during the World Cup and made it clear that the midfielder has already pushed himself hard.

“He’s been through a lot at the World Cup – that’s what the World Cup is like. He gave it his all. He played his heart out in the semi-finals.

“There’s a problem: the player wants to and could have carried on, but we believe he needs to start the season at 100 per cent.

“We’ve decided, together with him and the coaching staff, that he should wait, so that he can return a week or two later, but at 100 per cent,” said the manager

Tchouameni himself is willing to return, but Mourinho wants him physically ready to handle the demands of the season before putting him back on the pitch.