Rival view: Tchouameni may return Sunday, but expect limited minutes at best

Reports in Spain indicate Aurelien Tchouameni could be cleared for Real Madrid’s game on Sunday if he feels good in training today. As a rival analyst, I am not buying the hype. Even if he is named in the squad, the sensible call is a bench role with a strict minute cap. Madrid have managed without him by dropping Camavinga deeper, and that will remain the safer structure. Fans may call him essential, but match rhythm is not regained overnight. Expect noise, not impact. The timeline looks optimistic on paper, far less convincing on grass.

Spanish outlet Marca signaled that Tchouameni’s participation depends on how he responds in today’s training at Valdebebas. Club staff will evaluate pain response, change of direction, and contact readiness before any decision on inclusion. Real Madrid’s coaching group has typically used late fitness tests ahead of weekend fixtures to determine bench eligibility.

🚨 NEW: Tchouameni could be back for Sunday's game! Everything depends on how he feels in training today. @marca

@MadridXtra

Impact Analysis

From a rival perspective, the headline sounds grand, but the underlying risk-reward points to caution. Tchouameni is a high-volume ball winner who locks the middle third and protects the half spaces in front of the center backs. Madrid’s rest defense is tighter with him screening transitions. Yet players in his profile rely on full-match intensity and repeated accelerations. Returning cold into a Sunday game is exactly where rhythm betrays optimism.

Without him, Madrid often push Camavinga deeper and ask Valverde to shuttle more aggressively. They lose some aerial coverage and second-ball security, but they gain quicker circulation and progressive carries. That trade-off has been workable, especially early in matches when their front line presses well. Reintroducing Tchouameni without full sharpness risks unnecessary fouls, late challenges, and conservative passing that slows their tempo.

For the opponent, the plan is simple: test his range repeatedly. Pull him wide with rotations, force recovery sprints, and attack the channel he vacates. If he plays through discomfort, Madrid’s midfield spacing will show it. And if he sits, Madrid revert to the same patterns we have already mapped, which are easier to target than the Tchouameni version at peak fitness.

Reaction

Fan chatter splits into familiar camps. The optimistic crowd pushes for an immediate return, calling him essential and urging him to get to training. Another group advocates caution, arguing for a bench cameo at most. Some even insist there is nothing serious, reading the report as a green light. A few rival voices needle Madrid, hinting at special treatment and calling for scrutiny, which is more heat than substance but tells you how polarizing his impact has become.

One theme stands out: Madrid supporters miss the control he brings. Several comment that the midfield looks bare without him, which is fair. Others fire back with sarcasm, asking what he has done lately, a classic social media overreaction that ignores how much off-ball structure he provides. The most realistic takes acknowledge the calendar and point to managed minutes. Overall mood: hopeful, a touch impatient, and ready to declare him back the second he jogs through the warm-up.

Social reactions

Lets get to training then 💪

LFGNOW (@LFGNOW1)

The midfield lack his absence

Pes Footy ♧ (@Pes_footy)

He should come from the bench

Mr Whyte (@kuks_0307)

Prediction

Three plausible scenarios. First, he passes the session, makes the squad, and plays 20 to 30 minutes if the game state demands it. That is the likeliest outcome and the only one that aligns with risk management. Second, he feels discomfort and the staff push him to next week, citing load progression. That would fit a standard return-to-play pathway that prioritizes repeatability over headlines. Third, he starts, but that would be a gamble and would probably lead to an early substitution around the hour with visible rust.

In all cases, I expect Madrid to lean on Camavinga from the off and only deploy Tchouameni to close a lead or stabilize a chaotic spell. The staff will avoid duels in wide zones and design his minutes to sit centrally, screen, and keep passes short. Any suggestion of an instant, dominant performance is wishful thinking. Fitness tests in training tell part of the story, not the whole arc of match intensity.

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Conclusion

Strip away the noise and the timeline is still soft. Availability is not readiness, and readiness is not influence. Madrid want their anchor back because he simplifies defensive tasks for everyone around him. But rushing a physically demanding role rarely pays. The prudent call is to park him on the bench, use him situationally, and let the engine come back in stages. That will frustrate fans who label him essential, yet it is the only way to protect the medium-term picture.

From a rival seat, nothing here is scary for Sunday. If he plays, target his range and turn him. If he sits, press Madrid’s first phase and attack the space behind their advanced eights. Either way, the edge goes to the side that treats this update as a footnote rather than a turning point. Expect more headlines than substance this weekend.