Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has praised the attitude of his players despite drawing 0-0 with Osasuna on Saturday.

The Primera Division strugglers managed to shut out los Blancos for large periods of the game, restricting them to few clear-cut opportunities in an encounter which also saw Kaka sent off.

“It’s not easy to create chances here against opponents like these,” explained Mourinho to reporters after the match. “We had chances to score though, not many, but we had some.

“I liked the attitude of the team, and several players had great games. [Raul] Albiol and [Fabio] Coentrao deserve praise, playing very well despite just returning from long injuries.”

Speculation of internal unrest has refused to go away, with Mourinho’s recent decision to drop captain Iker Casillas criticised by supporters.

But the former Inter boss only had words of praise for the club icon, stating: “In our last two games, the team has played well defensively, and he has been a part of that.

“I liked how he played against Celta as well, rising to the occasion to give his team a boost. Nevertheless, it is still too early to tell if he will play against Valencia on Tuesday.”

The Liga champions will now turn their attentions to the Copa del Rey, when they host Ernesto Valverde’s men at the Santiago Bernabeu.