The possibility has emerged after Raúl Asencio underwent surgery on a stress fracture in his right tibia, while Dean Huijsen is suspended and Éder Militão remains unavailable. Ibrahima Konaté is also recovering from an injury suffered while on international duty with France.
That leaves Antonio Rüdiger as the only established central defender currently available, prompting Mourinho to consider moving Tchouaméni into the back line if Konaté does not recover in time.
Tchouaméni is primarily a midfielder but has already filled in at centre-back for Real Madrid. His familiarity with the position makes him an obvious internal solution while the squad is depleted.
Asencio’s latest injury has further complicated Mourinho’s options. Real Madrid confirmed that the defender underwent successful surgery on Thursday following the stress fracture in his right tibia.
The club said Mourinho visited Asencio in hospital after the operation, with the defender now facing a period of rehabilitation.
Mourinho is preparing for the possibility that Konaté will not be fit for the Villarreal fixture on October 10. The France international returned from national-team duty after suffering a problem with his right knee and remains under assessment.
Militão is continuing his recovery, while Huijsen’s suspension removes another option from Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouaméni has previously demonstrated that he can operate in defence when required, and his versatility could now be particularly important. The Frenchman would provide Mourinho with a way to maintain a conventional back four without having to alter the formation or rely on a less experienced player.
The shortage is particularly acute because the match comes during a period when several defensive options are either injured or unavailable through suspension. Mourinho therefore faces a decision over whether to use a player with previous experience in the position rather than change his defensive structure.
Konaté’s fitness remains the key variable before the squad is finalised. If he is ruled out, Tchouaméni could be asked to step back into defence against Villarreal.
The final decision is likely to depend on Konaté’s recovery, but Tchouaméni is already being considered as the contingency plan.