You will not play — Mourinho threatens to bench Real Madrid stars

Speaking ahead of the La Liga clash with Villarreal, the Portuguese coach said;

“I promise you, when a Real Madrid player stops behaving like a Real Madrid player, you will not even get a chance to boo him. And that’s because he won’t even get to sit on the bench.”

Mourinho was largely defending Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior, both of whom have faced criticism this season.

Mbappé has been the subject of intense media scrutiny over his form and off-field matters, while Vinicius has struggled for consistency and been booed by sections of the Bernabéu crowd.

The manager dismissed the criticism as “ridiculous” and insisted both players have fulfilled their professional obligations.

The comments come against the backdrop of a difficult start to the campaign for Real Madrid. Los Blancos currently sit six points behind leaders Barcelona and have already dropped points in matches they were expected to win comfortably.

There have also been persistent rumours of dressing-room tension, including reports of internal disagreements and a reported altercation between players earlier in the season.