Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has said he does not consider Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham "incompatible" as a trio, despite acknowledging it will be difficult to find the ideal tactical set-up to accommodate all three. His comments come as Real prepare to open their La Liga campaign against Espanyol, with the club hoping to reclaim the title from Barcelona after a turbulent previous season marred by fan unrest and reported internal conflict at the Bernabeu.

Mourinho, who returned for a second spell in charge in June, said "incredible players want to play with incredible players" but admitted tactical adjustments would be needed. Mbappe scored 42 goals in all competitions last season and Vinicius 22, though pundits note their overlapping styles have caused spacing problems, with Bellingham often dropping deeper to compensate. Bellingham himself has previously said fitting all three together "can be difficult", though Mourinho pointed to their success playing in "perfect" roles for their countries at the World Cup as reason for optimism.