Jose Mourinho has defended his decisions for Trent Alexander-Arnold amid speculation the England defender could leave Real Madrid in January. The coach has said that when choosing a squad, the needs of the team are more important than the personal feelings of the players.
“First of all, it hurts me. I don't like to make the players feel bad. I want them to feel good“, Mourinho was quoted as saying by the BBC. He explained that when there are two players in each position in the squad, the appearance of a third player on the pitch can be unpleasant for the others.
In this particular situation, the coach preferred to change the midfield and use Federico Valverde there. “I was thinking about the team, not the players“, Mourinho said. He said Alexander-Arnold and Denzel Dumfries accepted the decision after it was explained to them that it was dictated by the needs of Real Madrid, and not directed against them.
Mourinho has previously stressed that Alexander-Arnold can be useful in a variety of positions. According to him, the player's tactical intelligence and ability to adapt will be important for a season in which competition for playing time is serious.
“It is not possible to think that one will play 60 games and the other will not play a single one“, the coach said at his first press conference in August, when he mentioned Alexander-Arnold and Dumfries as competing options.
The Englishman's flexibility was already used against Inter in September. Then he started as a central midfielder alongside Valverde after several opportunities in midfield fell through due to suspensions. Mourinho rated his performance as tactically very good and said that he and Valverde worked “very well at this level“.
The coach said that his main task is to keep the entire squad motivated and ready to be included. “We work so that all the players are ready at any time, so that they feel capable of playing and know that they are important. This is very important for motivation“, said Mourinho.
Speculation about a possible transfer of Alexander-Arnold in January remains without a confirmed decision in the coach's statement. Mourinho did not announce a change in his plans for the player, but presented competition and rotation as part of Real Madrid's squad management.
Source: bbc.co.uk