Criticized for not having properly accompanied Rodrigo Zalazar in the League Cup, Heorhiy Sudakov was under 'fire' this week. However, José Mourinho defended him in the preview of the Clásico, saying that the player's past in a country at war is a “mitigation” of the error. «Mistakes pay for themselves. I have more or less ease in accepting a certain type of individual error. Obviously, Zalazar's goal has incredible merit for him, but it has a huge demerit for us. With another player, with another story, with another experience, with another background, I would have had more difficulty accepting what I had. At the moment when people talk about Sudakov because of his physical difficulties, because he didn't have the winter break like he is used to... the context in which he lived is not one of extremely high competition and a very high level of responsibility. He comes from the Ukrainian championship, from a Ukraine you know. Where the training process I can imagine with enormous difficulties. I don't even want to think about having someone I love in a war scenario without knowing the last day, without knowing if I spoke to them for the last time. I don't want to imagine the effect of that on a young player. Sudakov has criticism, but he has support from me. Obviously I can't say: 'Look, you were right to let Zalazar go there and blow everything up'. I also can’t crucify him for a situation that has mitigating factors.” «The rest of the question you ask me, if we have to put someone there, maybe yes. But we have to put someone there who can make the other side think: 'Be careful, this guy could screw me over'. But I understand the issue.”