Why the international break already concerns Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid

Jose Mourinho has made a perfect start to his second spell at Real Madrid, but the Portuguese coach has already identified one major concern that could disrupt the momentum he is trying to build.

Real Madrid have won both of their opening La Liga matches under Mourinho, beating Espanyol 2-1 before producing a much more convincing display in a 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad.

The early results have given the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager a positive platform, but Mourinho is still at the beginning of the process of shaping his new side.

That is why the first international break of the 2026-27 season has arrived at an awkward moment.

Unlike a standard international window, the upcoming break will last three weeks, with the traditional September and October periods combined into one extended block.

For Mourinho, the concern is not simply that a large part of his squad will leave Valdebebas.

Mourinho worried by players who may not feature for their countries

“The international break concerns me,” Mourinho admitted. “It is a long time.”

The Real Madrid boss explained that players who leave the club and play regularly for their national teams are not necessarily the main issue.

Instead, Mourinho is particularly worried about those who travel but may spend much of the three-week period without meaningful competitive action.

“Players who join their national teams to play do not worry me as much,” he said. “It is those who join the national teams and are not really involved who concern me.”

That creates an unusual problem for a manager who is still trying to establish his methods and assess how individual players fit into his plans.

Those who remain in Madrid can continue working with Mourinho and his staff, while regular internationals will at least maintain match rhythm.

Players who fall somewhere between those two groups could be away from the club for an extended period without either benefit.

“We will see how we can deal with it and work with the remaining players,” Mourinho added. “But not having players at my disposal for three weeks is a difficult situation.”

Physical concerns add to Real Madrid problem

There is also a second reason for Mourinho’s unease.

Several Real Madrid players are coming off the back of a demanding World Cup, which concluded in July, leaving only a short turnaround before the new club season began.

Jude Bellingham, Marc Cucurella and Kylian Mbappe are among the players whose workloads Mourinho has already discussed managing carefully.

Another run of international travel, training sessions and matches will therefore increase the physical demands on a squad that has barely had time to settle back into a normal club routine.

Mourinho has acknowledged that national-team decisions are outside his control, but he is clearly aware of the risks that can follow.

“It is very common for players to suffer injuries during these periods of rest and just after returning from an international break,” he said.

That concern is particularly relevant given the stage Real Madrid are at under their returning manager.

Mourinho is still trying to define roles, build relationships between players and establish a stable structure, all while attempting to end the club’s two-season wait for silverware.

The perfect start has reduced some of the immediate pressure, but the next few weeks will test whether Madrid can preserve that momentum before Mourinho temporarily loses much of his squad.

Before the international break, Real are due to face Malaga, Real Betis, Inter Milan, Rayo Vallecano, Elche and Atletico Madrid.

By the time that run is over, Mourinho may have a clearer idea of how far his team has progressed.

The challenge will then be ensuring that three weeks apart do not undo some of the work already completed.