Vinicius as a 9 alongside Mbappé: Cañizares' idea for Madrid

Vinicius Júnior is available again in LaLiga after serving a four-match ban, and Mourinho's Real Madrid arrive on an eight-game winning run with an increasingly settled XI. The challenge is fitting him in without breaking what works. According to MARCA, Santi Cañizares analysed the situation on COPE's El Partidazo.

His proposal is to move Vinicius into the centre of attack, alongside Mbappé. Cañizares accepts that the team could still win with both forwards on the pitch, but it would lose some of the identity, balance and good atmosphere built over the last few weeks.

Mourinho is aware of that. A coach must try different tactical and personal management approaches to get the best out of his players, and a very good player can have bad moments and return to his normal level. Meanwhile Diomande and Arda Güler have gained prominence on the wings, and Bellingham, according to Cañizares, is the first to notice when a teammate does not give his effort. For the former goalkeeper, integrating Vinicius without disturbing that collective work will be very difficult.