“I think more minutes, yes.” That was Jose Mourinho’s main update on Aurélien Tchouaméni before Real Madrid travel to Elche on Tuesday for the La Liga clash. The line was less about the opponent than about how Madrid are handling their squad, and Mourinho also said he wants them to win and play well against Elche.

He was just as clear about the workload. Mourinho said it is not possible to press high for 90 minutes, and argued that a strong squad makes it hard for any player to call himself an undisputed starter. That fits the way Madrid are approaching this run, with Elche vs Real Madrid followed by Atletico Madrid away on 2026-09-20.

Guler's rise and the minutes around Tchouameni

The sharpest praise went to Arda Güler. Mourinho said the midfielder has been transformed physically and pointed to his quality, vision, decision-making, playmaking and creativity. The numbers are tidy enough: Guler has 4 appearances, 139 minutes, 1 goal and 2 assists in La Liga this season.

That is the kind of output that helps explain why Mourinho is speaking about him as a near top-level option rather than a development project. Vinícius Júnior was also mentioned in the wider discussion, with Mourinho saying the best version of him is the one scoring goals, although that was a separate point about how Madrid manage attacking roles.

Madrid's rotation problem

Tchouameni’s return is being handled carefully. He played the final 11 minutes against Inter Milan and the last 21 minutes against Rayo Vallecano, and Mourinho said he will play against Elche but cannot yet say for how long. He also said Tchouameni is getting better, stronger and more confident every time.

Madrid’s league position adds pressure to the selection calls. They are second in La Liga, three points behind Barcelona. In that context, Mourinho’s comments sound less like pre-match filler and more like a straight explanation of how he wants the team managed across a busy spell.

The key point is that this press conference was about hierarchy as much as tactics. Guler looks increasingly trusted, Tchouameni is being eased back in, and Madrid go to Elche with the derby four days later already in view.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →