Real Madrid have a challenging schedule ahead.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team will play nine games in 28 days before Christmas. That includes Sunday’s match against Leganes, Champions League trips to Liverpool and Atalanta, La Liga games against Athletic Club, Girona and Sevilla and the final of the Intercontinental Cup, previously the FIFA Club World Cup, against an as yet unknown opponent.
They will have to do that without three key defensive players who are injured: Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao and David Alaba. Carvajal and Militao are both out for the season with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries while Alaba is still recovering from suffering that injury last season.
Other minor absentees include Aurelien Tchouameni, who has a sprained ankle, and Lucas Vazquez and Rodrygo, who both have muscle problems. Along with Thibaut Courtois’ groin injury before El Clasico, Madrid had seven injured players going into this latest international break. As The Athletic reported last week, they have experienced at least 25 injuries this season, which has contributed to internal tensions at the club.
Coaching staff sources — who, like all those cited in this article, asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships — say that Ancelotti knows he will have to deal with the resources he has, as has been the case in previous seasons.
It’s not even clear whether Madrid will be able to sign anyone in January, despite senior club voices telling the coaching staff a few weeks ago that they understood the need for reinforcements. Some coaches fear that if they are able to cope with the injury crisis by adapting the line-up, the club will not see a need to bring anyone in.
Ancelotti is expected to continue with a 4-4-2 formation to give his team greater security in midfield. But how will he plug the gaps in the XI?
Goalkeeper
Despite Courtois’ recent absence — missing the last three games before the international break — he is expected to be available to face Leganes.
The 32-year-old hasn’t been called up to the Belgium squad since June 2023 because of a rift with head coach Domenico Tedesco. The chief executive of the Belgian FA, Peter Willems, recently contacted the Madrid No 1 to try to bring him back into the fold, but, as The Athletic reported, Courtois reiterated he would not return with Tedesco in charge.
That means Courtois has been able to recover at Madrid’s Valdebebas training facilities during the break. He has done some exercises with the rest of the group and should be back on Sunday. If he is not, Andriy Lunin has shown he is a reliable backup.
Right-back
One of the positions that raises the most doubts. Carvajal is out for the rest of the season and Vazquez was sidelined with a back injury in Madrid’s last game against Osasuna earlier this month.
The club initially reported that Vazquez would be out for around a month, but various sources at Valdebebas have told The Athletic the extent of the injury is not as bad as they thought — and his camp says he will try to return in time for the match against Liverpool, seen as the next “final” by those within Madrid.
Given that will be a high-intensity match, Ancelotti could turn to Federico Valverde at right-back. That is not the Uruguayan midfielder’s natural position, but his energy could be useful if Vazquez is not at 100 per cent.
There are alternatives in the youth system, such as Lorenzo Aguado and David Jimenez from the reserve team Real Madrid Castilla and Jesus Fortea, who plays for the under-19s. All of them have been closely monitored by the first-team coaching staff, who consider Fortea to be one of the best in his position in Europe at his age (17). But people at the club know things can’t be rushed and are not so sure the youngsters will play a major role so soon.
Central defence
The most worrying position for Madrid.
Madrid will be without Militao for around nine months after he underwent surgery on his ACL on Tuesday. Alaba is not expected to be available again until January, and even then there are doubts as to whether he will be able to compete at the highest level so soon after returning.
That leaves Antonio Rudiger as the only fit senior option. After him, there is Tchouameni, who has been considered by Ancelotti to be the third centre-back since the start of the season. The Frenchman doesn’t see himself in that position long-term but recent injuries are likely to make him a starter in that position when he recovers. It’s highly unlikely he’ll be available for the trip to Liverpool.
Jesus Vallejo is a well-loved character in the dressing room but is not being considered by Ancelotti. In the last game against Osasuna, the player chosen to replace the injured Militao was academy prospect Raul Asencio rather than the 27-year-old.
The only doubt for the coaching staff was whether to play Asencio or left-back Ferland Mendy when that happened, but they opted for the 21-year-old, who put in an impressive performance and assisted Jude Bellingham’s first goal of the season. He will be part of first-team training from now on.
Asencio is excited and believes he has a chance to be an important part of the squad. Assistant coaches Davide Ancelotti and Francesco Mauri have carried out special sessions with him to improve his positioning in recent weeks, as they did with Alaba and Militao.
But the coaching staff believe Castilla coach and Madrid legend Raul has done a great job with Asencio, who is aiming to play against Liverpool. Fellow youth centre-back Jacobo Ramon will also be in contention once he returns from a muscular injury as the coaching staff rate him highly.
Left-back
Madrid have two defenders available in this position in Mendy and Fran Garcia, and there shouldn’t be any problems here.
Mendy earned a three-year contract renewal last season with his fine performances, but he hasn’t been at his best since the start of the season. That opens up opportunities for Garcia, who has played 12 times in all competitions — but Mendy is still seen as first-choice for big games such as the tie at Anfield.
Defensive midfield
The coaching staff see Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga as the ideal holding midfield pair if they don’t have any physical problems, but the former may be needed further back in the short term.
Luka Modric and Dani Ceballos are seen as alternatives who can inject their personality in midfield. Madrid have been unable to replace Toni Kroos since his retirement in the summer and that has led to a more direct approach, although Ancelotti’s team are struggling for fluidity.
Tchouameni would be the other option given this is his usual role but, in principle, he will play as a central defender.
Attacking midfielders
Jude Bellingham remains the obvious first-choice in attacking midfield.
The Englishman has been more dedicated to defensive duties this season after Kylian Mbappe’s arrival. Footage from inside the tunnel at half-time of Madrid’s defeat by Real Mallorca earlier this season showed Bellingham asking the team’s front three to “Finish the attacks, because the running back is f***ing hard”.
Bellingham is considered to be untouchable despite his ongoing shoulder problems and will enjoy more space in attack in the coming games, with Camavinga and Valverde providing defensive cover. That could already be seen in the game against Osasuna, in which Bellingham played with more freedom and was rewarded with his first goal of the campaign.
Rodrygo is injured but could be the other attacking midfielder when he returns. He returned to training with the ball this week and hasn’t been ruled out for Liverpool, although he is more of a doubt for that game than Vazquez.
The club announced earlier this month that Rodrygo would be out for five to six weeks, but this is understood to have been very cautious and expected to be considerably reduced. The coaching staff value the Brazilian as a valuable attacking player who can balance the team with his contribution in defence as well as going forward.
While Rodrygo is recovering, the plan is to field a central midfielder such as Modric to provide off-the-ball work and use a creative player such as Brahim Diaz. The Morocco winger has scored five goals in two games for his national team and looks back to his best after a muscular injury.
The alternative is Arda Guler, who hadn’t played for four games in a row before Osasuna. The Turkish youngster is expected to be given more minutes, although spaces are limited in midfield.
Strikers
Fans may have their doubts in this department, but there’s none for Ancelotti: Mbappe and Vinicius Junior are his two starting forwards.
Both of them are fit and are set to play against Leganes, but Mbappe is experiencing a difficult first few months at Madrid. The club believe in his potential and think he has simply lost his rhythm. France coach Didier Deschamps didn’t call Mbappe up for a second successive international break this month, but Madrid sources think this could help him find his best level if it allows him more rest.
Vinicius Jr will continue to play on the left as he is considered to be Madrid’s most important player in that position at present. While he and Mbappe regularly switch positions during games, their starting roles are clear, with the Frenchman through the middle.
Both will also be tasked with showing more effort without the ball. According to Opta, Mbappe has made just one successful tackle this season and no interceptions. Vinicius Jr has been more energetic, making 16 fouls in attempting tackles, the fourth most of any La Liga player this season.
Additional contributor: Thom Harris
(Top photo: Getty Images)
