Real Madrid manager José Mourinho confirmed that captain Fede Valverde will not be featuring in the team's clash with Racing Club on Sunday afternoon.

Valverde had to be substituted during the second half of the El Clásico last week with an apparent injury. Although there were many reports saying that there was nothing to worry about with the injury and that Valverde will be available for the game on Sunday, Mourinho confirmed that that would not be the case.

Even Valverde, when he was asked by a reporter while signing autographs, said that he was not feeling 100% about his injury. Now Mourinho has finally said that the player will not play that game.

This is good news for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Denzel Dumfries

It is probably best to leave him out of the match, even if he is fully fit, just because you do not want to aggravate any potential injury that he may have, even if he is feeling fully fine. There is no reason for Valverde to come back to the lineup to face Racing Club, especially when there are so many other great options in both midfield and the right-back position.

Valverde has not played in the midfield in a few weeks now, and if you count him fully as a right-back, Real Madrid have two brilliant options to go for. One is better than the other, but at their best, both Denzel Dumfries and Trent Alexander-Arnold are great options for the position. Dumfries has not had a good season so far, while Trent, despite being better than Dumfries, has not played more than the Dutch fullback.

Both of these players need minutes to show Mourinho that they're up for the task, but only one of them will be able to start on Sunday night. Hopefully it is Trent, because the Englishman simply has not played enough to have a chance to convince Mourinho that he is the best right-back that the club has.

Either way, Valverde would be happy with the rest he will get, especially because there are two games within the next week that Real Madrid will need him for. After that, there will be an international break. In these two games against AEK Athens and Valencia, Valverde will be needed at the right-back position at any cost.

Whether he will be fit for these two games is another story because José Mourinho did not actually mention that, but the hope is that he will be able to make these two games in the coming week.