Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho spoke about the need for competition in the squad when he was asked yesterday about the possible return to the starting line-up of goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas against Real Sociedad.

Mourinho stirred up controversy when he dropped Spain’s number one and played reserve keeper Antonio Adan for the last La Liga game before the mid-season break away at Malaga, when the cham-pions slipped to a 3-2 defeat.

“To be permanently in the comfort zone isn’t good for players,” Mourinho told a news conference ahead of their return to action today at home to the Basque club.

“All positions on the pitch are about confidence, it is fundamental for all the players, not only for the keepers.

“This translates into performance, but just as confidence is important so is competition, and we will try and strike that balance.”