Mourinho: Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Mbappe are not incompatible

Jose Mourinho said before Real Madrid’s La Liga opener against Espanyol on Saturday that Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe are not "incompatible" together, while acknowledging it will be hard to find the "perfect set-up" to fit all three into the same team. The 63-year-old, whose return to Real was confirmed in June, described the task of selecting a starting eleven that accommodates them as "difficult".

Last season at the Bernabeu was overshadowed by chaos, including fan unrest and allegations of players fighting, and Mourinho said he will need all three stars if Real are to reclaim the Spanish title from Barcelona, who have won the past two. Reflecting on elite players' demands, he told reporters: "They are incredible players and incredible players want to play with incredible players. Top players have frustration when they play with teammates who are not top. The best want to play with the best. After the tactical adjustments, it might be a little bit more difficult."

Before Real's Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich last season, Bellingham acknowledged the challenge of combining with the two forwards, saying: "It's difficult, because I still feel like there have been many games where we've mixed really well. It can be difficult when we're all on the same side. We're fluid, we have freedom to move around, at times that can disorganise a bit, but with both of them, you have to trust in their ability."

Mourinho noted the trio each occupied "perfect" roles for their countries at the World Cup but said reproducing that balance at club level will be harder. "It's harder for Mourinho to find the perfect set-up for all three. It's harder. But here we are. I want all three of them to feel comfortable on the field together," he said, adding: "I'm very confident that you're going to say it's great when the three play together because they're high-quality players, and I don't think their positions are incompatible either. I'm very confident that we're going to have a great season with them."

Goals were not lacking last season, with Mbappe scoring 42 times in all competitions and Vinicius contributing 22, but fitting the pieces together proved problematic as both attackers frequently drifted into the same areas. Bellingham dropped deeper last season to help balance the side, which reduced his influence closer to goal; he totalled eight goals and five assists in 40 appearances, down from 23 goals and 13 assists in his first campaign. At the World Cup, England head coach Thomas Tuchel used Bellingham predominantly as a number 10 behind Harry Kane; Bellingham scored seven goals in eight appearances, operating in an advanced role for 71% of his minutes compared with 28% in La Liga last season.

Real have also added 19-year-old Yan Diomande after his breakthrough at RB Leipzig, with the Ivory Coast winger completing 118 dribbles across Europe's top five leagues last season, a total bettered only by Lamine Yamal, and winning possession in the opposition final third 27 times, a figure bettered by only nine players across those leagues. Mourinho's previous Real side in 2011-12, featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain, scored a La Liga record 121 goals in 38 matches, and in his earlier spell he won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.

Mourinho arrives with squad issues to manage, including the dressing-room row last season between Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde that left Valverde taken to hospital with a head injury; Real said the pair had "apologised to each other, the club and their team-mates" and were fined 500,000 euros (£432,037.50) each. On the state of the squad he said: "I arrived with a lot of information. I've been here for three years and have my base contacts. I've come to know many things, not just the situation that occurred between Tchouameni and Federico [Valverde]. But I decided to start from scratch." He added: "What I've seen isn't about peace - it's about normality, friendship, and cooperation. It's as if nothing ever happened."

Mourinho has said commitment must be constant and that the squad must overcome inevitable frustrations, stating: "We need to be a team, work well, and not try to negotiate things that are non-negotiable. Commitment has to be present every minute of every match. We have to overcome moments of frustration that will come from a negative result or personal frustration." He faces the immediate task of selecting a side for the La Liga opener against Espanyol on Saturday as he attempts to integrate his attacking options and deliver results after two turbulent seasons, three failed managers and no trophies.