Mourinho prepares a tactical surprise for the Clásico

Real Madrid travel to the Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday evening for the tenth round of La Liga and a high-stakes Clásico against Barcelona. The “Royal” side must avoid defeat to prevent falling nine points behind their rivals. Vinícius Júnior is unavailable through suspension, while injuries rule out Rodrygo Goes, Raúl Asencio and Ferland Mendy, limiting options for José Mourinho. AS reports Mourinho is considering a tactical tweak: pushing Valverde onto the right in an advanced role, with Denzel Dumfries as right-back. Arda Güler and Aurélien Tchouaméni would partner in midfield, after which Jude Bellingham would complete a trio behind Kylian Mbappé and Yan Diomande. Bench options include Militão, Rüdiger, Bernardo Silva, Brahim Díaz, Endrick and Espy. Last week’s 4-1 Sevilla win is noted as a rare precedent for this midfield pairing.