When Jose Mourinho walked back through the doors at Real Madrid this summer, 13 years had passed since he last left the club.

He returned with a familiar reputation and enormous expectations, but facing a very different challenge.

Mourinho was handed a three-year contract, with the club hoping he could restore stability as well as success after two trophyless seasons.

Now, seven league matches into his second spell, some of the familiar tensions of last season have already resurfaced.

Defeat by rivals Atletico Madrid has left supporters questioning Real Madrid's consistency and Mourinho's approach.

The Portuguese coach now has plenty of time to consider his options during an unusually long three-week international break. Madrid do not play again until they host Villarreal on Saturday, 10 October - and travel to Barcelona two weeks later.

Mourinho has concerns about the break, but it is an early opportunity to take stock and prepare for a run of fixtures that could tell us much more about the direction of his second spell at the Bernabeu.

For Mourinho, the derby defeat at Atletico Madrid was a sobering reminder of the scale of the challenge he has taken on.