Jose Mourinho only has three injury concerns, ahead of tomorrow’s Madrid derby at the Metropolitano. Rodrygo (knee) is a long term injury absentee while Eder Militao (unspecified muscular injury) and Ferland Mendy (hip injury) will also remain sidelined this weekend.
Otherwise, Mourinho has a fully fit and available squad for Sunday’s capital city derby.
El Derbi Madrileño FYIs
Kickoff: Sun. Sept. 20, Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain
Team News: Real Madrid Atletico Madrid
Predicted Starting XIs for Both Sides: go here
Google’s Result Probability: Real Madrid 49% Draw 24% Atletico Madrid 27%
La Liga Standing, Form: Real Madrid 2nd, 15 pts WWLWW Atletico Madrid 4th, 13 pts DWLWW
What Did Jose Mourinho Say at His Press Conference?
Mourinho said a whole lot of things at his news conference, on a whole bunch of topics. And to put it simply, he is almost always box office when he’s at media availabilites.
He was full of praise for the manager who will be on the opposite touchline tomorrow, Diego Simeone, who has been leading Atletico for so long, he was in charge during Mourinho’s first spell leading Los Blancos.
“You say so many silly things in your career,” Mourinho responded, when asked about past remarks he’s made about Simeone.
“Sometimes you’re affected by the moment and sometimes it’s strategic. But in the end, you respect, or you don’t…We’re rivals again, but we’re war comrades.”
Mourinho is right, we all grow, mature and develop to the point where we might disown comments that we made in the past.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.