Real Madrid could have major "problem" for Champions League opener against Inter Milan

Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho has admitted that his team potentially have "a problem" for next week's Champions League opener against Inter Milan.

Los Blancos will be aiming to make it four straight wins at the start of their 2026-27 La Liga campaign when they head to Real Betis on Friday night.

Real Madrid will then turn their attention to the Champions League, beginning their league phase campaign against Inter Milan on September 8.

Arda Guler, Bernardo Silva and Eduardo Camavinga are all suspended for that fixture due to cards that they picked up during their last matches of the 2025-26 Champions League.

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Tchouameni absence would create "problem" against Inter

Aurelien Tchouameni has not played this season due to a muscular problem, and he will again be absent when Real Madrid take on Real Betis.

Mourinho has admitted that he will have "a problem" if Tchouanemi is unable to recover from the injury in time for the European contest at Bernabeu.

“I don’t know if he will even be ready for the match against Inter because next Tuesday, in midfield, we will certainly have a problem with the suspensions of Guler, Bernardo Silva, and Camavinga," Mourinho told reporters during his press conference on Thursday.

"Practically, [Federico] Valverde will be the only first-team player available. We'll talk about this tomorrow after the match, but until the Betis match, let me stay optimistic and happy because, as you know, we are going to have a significant problem to solve.

"Let’s focus on Betis and forget about the rest for now.”

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How will Mourinho solve Real Madrid issue?

Should Tchouameni be passed fit, it is likely that the France international would be deployed in central midfield alongside Valverde.

However, if Tchouameni is again missing, Mourinho could decide to bring Jude Bellingham back into the midfield alongside Valverde, potentially opening the door for both Yan Diomande and Brahim Diaz to feature in the final third with Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe.