Mourinho takes every Real Madrid signing to Barcelona and opens the door to the academy

First official test, and there is already news in the squad list. Jose Mourinho has released his first LaLiga squad list as Real Madrid manager, put together for the clash with Espanyol, and the headline is obvious: every signing from this summer is making the trip to Barcelona.

The Portuguese coach included in the list all the signings from the recent preseason: Yan Diomande, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, Bernardo Silva, Marc Cucurella and Carlos Espi. Joining that group are the names any Real Madrid fan already knows well: Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior will also be available for the league opener.

But it is not all familiar faces. Mourinho decided to bring along three academy products who have been training with the first team since the start of preseason: Mario Rivas, Jorge Cestero and Alexis Ciria. Their inclusion in the squad is no coincidence: it reflects a very specific problem Real Madrid is dealing with right now, since the injury list is fuller than any coach would like heading into the season opener.

Seven absences and the door open to the academy

Seven players are unavailable to Mourinho for this start of the season: Aurelien Tchouameni, Endrick, Rodrygo Goes, Thiago Pitarch, Ferland Mendy, Raul Asencio and Eder Militao. Some are last minute absences, but others stem from long term injuries: Militao, Mendy and Rodrygo are still in recovery, while the coaching staff hopes to have Endrick, Tchouameni, Pitarch and Asencio back by September.

Given that picture, it is no surprise that Mourinho himself stepped up to explain why he is turning to the academy kids. The Portuguese coach was clear in his press conference about the size of his squad and the role he wants to give the young players:

"Tomorrow there will be three on the bench: Rivas, Cestero and Ciria. We don't have a very large squad. Militao, Rodrygo and Ferland (Mendy) will be out for a long time. I really like working with 20 or 21 players, 22 at most. The academy players are filling these open spots and working very well with us. It won't always be the same ones. I also want to motivate the kids and make them understand that the door is open. This week it's these three, and it will be many more after them. It's something I like to do and I think it's appreciated at La Fabrica, because I think it can motivate the kids," Jose Mourinho

The real challenge, in any case, lies further up the field. With Mbappe, Vinicius, Bellingham and Diomande all available at once, finding balance and distributing roles among them will be the toughest task facing the coach in Barcelona. Asked how he plans to approach the defensive work of his forwards, Mourinho was just as direct:

"I'll ask something different of them for every match and every opponent. But you have to defend with eleven players. If the other team pushes us back and puts us in real trouble in our defensive third, everyone has to defend. If it's a match where we press high, keep them from getting out, and play in the opponent's half the whole time, then they don't have to defend. They just have to play and keep hammering away," Jose Mourinho

It remains to be seen how he solves that equation on the field. What is already certain is that Real Madrid arrives at its first league fixture with nearly its entire attacking arsenal available, along with three names from La Fabrica who will get the chance to add official minutes under Mourinho's command.