Marcelo
Marcelo added to the list of injuries this weekend and it could not have come at a worse time. The pacey Brazilian defender came off a beautiful performance against PSG heading into the weekend La Liga fixture against Real Betis. Unfortunately, things did not go as expected as Marcelo limped off the pitch early in the match. Marcelo was substituted out for Theo Hernandez in the 30th minute.
Real Madrid released a statement on its official page Tuesday. The notice stated “Following tests carried out on our player Marcelo by the Sanitas Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a muscle injury in the biceps femoris of the right leg. His recovery will continue to be assessed.”
The injury is in his hamstring and could take some time for a full recovery. Real Madrid will be hoping that Marcelo will be back in time for the second-leg match against PSG. Over the next two weeks while Marcelo is unavailable Zidane will have to find a viable replacement. Fortunately for Zizou, he does not have to look too far. The best option would be a like-for-like swap with Theo Hernandez. Nacho could also be an option but has been playing a considerable amount this season.
Former Atletico Madrid player Theo Hernandez has not featured as much as expected when he was signed by Real last summer. At 20-years-old it definitely is not easy to take the place of the first team player, especially if his name is Marcelo. Theo though will be granted the privilege of dawning the kit and actually picking up some more minutes.
Hernandez has played 16 games this season thus far which could seem like a fair amount in actuality is not that much. In relation to the minutes available over the course of 16 games, Theo has featured in 1,043 of a possible 1,440 minutes. That variance may not seem huge but that’s almost 5 full matches.
Theo like Marcelo possesses a wealth of pace down the wing. Though his ball control is not as strong he makes up for it in his Energizer Bunny-like work rate. Hernandez is relentless in his approach chasing down players and whipping crosses into the box as often as he can.
It makes one wonder, if Theo was given more minutes to play would that have helped ensure Marcelo stays fresh and fit. Theo now has his time to shine over the next few weeks as his teammate is unavailable. Hernadez now how the chance to show everyone why Perez signed him and make us of his daring move from cross-town rivals Atleti. Let’s hope that he can impress the fans, Zidane as well as the club.