Jose Mourinho challenges Real Madrid stars to 'fight for squad places'

Mourinho's side moved to the top of the La Liga standings after a convincing 4-0 win over Malaga on Sunday night, with several of Madrid's biggest names producing impressive performances.

After the match, Mourinho was asked about the frustration of players who are not starting regularly and made it clear that the squad must remain focused throughout the season.

"It's a difficult mission, not a one-month thing, but a season-long one," Mourinho said.

"The frustration of those who aren't playing is something that's more in the players' hands than in mine.

"I can show that I trust them all. They have to manage it themselves. Today, Trent and Cucurella played, and Carreras and Dumfries didn't."

The Portuguese coach has a number of high-quality options competing for places and believes the players must make his selection decisions difficult through their performances and attitude.

Mourinho also spoke about Real Madrid's attacking stars after Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe all played important roles in the victory over Malaga.

Bellingham scored and also forced an own goal, while Mbappe found the net with an impressive finish. Vinicius provided an assist and created several opportunities for his team-mates.

There has been continued debate over whether Madrid's biggest stars can consistently play together, but Mourinho dismissed any concerns about their ability to combine.

"Very, very good players want to play together," Mourinho said.

"With people of their quality, with their speed of thought and decision-making, they always have to be compatible.

"There was a lot of talk that Mou didn't want one player, then another, then another. I always want the best. If there's empathy, teamwork, I don't see any problem; I see that they're good."

Mourinho's message is clear as Real Madrid continue their season: every player has a chance to earn his place, but those opportunities must be taken with the right attitude.

Real Madrid return to La Liga action on Friday when they face Real Betis at the Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville.

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