Real Madrid received a squad boost on Wednesday as central defensive midfielder Marcos Llorente went through his first training session in well over a month. Zinedine Zidane was still without two players, Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez, who trained inside as they continue to rehab ailments.
A handful of Real Madrid players will remain in the capital for the next week and a half during the international break and enjoy some much-needed time off and some extra training sessions with returning manager Zinedine Zidane.
The players that trained at the Valadebebas on Wednesday and were not called up by their respective countries were Isco, Marcelo, Nacho Fernandez, Mariano, Karim Benzema, Brahim Diaz, Alvaro Odriozola and Luca Zidane.
Zidane received a boost as Marcos Llorente returned to team training for the first time in six weeks. The CDM picked up a serious injury in the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg at FC Barcelona and has not been seen on the training ground before today.
Llorente sure has missed a lot in his time injured! He will again have to go out and impress Zidane despite some fantastic play under Santiago Solari in November and December.
The Spanish international has already impressed the coaching staff with his dedication to rehabbing and getting fit. They were also impressed by his on-field play during the session earlier today, according to Marca.
Casemiro could really use a match or two off after playing eight straight. It is even more vital that Llorente get back to full fitness during the international break due to the suspension the fiery Brazilian picked up in the 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano.
Unfortunately for Zizou and the club, both Dani Carvajal and Vinícius Júnior worked with the medical staff inside the facility once again. There has been no timetable given on either player, but Carvajal appears to be in good spirits.
Carvajal, Vinícius, and Lucas Vaquez all suffered injuries in the embarrassing loss at home to Ajax in the Champions League. Vazquez was forced off in the first half with a leg problem while Carvajal came off in the second half with a thigh muscle problem.
Between Carvajal, Vazquez, and Vinícius Júnior, Lucas is likely the closest to making a return to the lineup with some predicting him back in full training shortly after the international break concludes.
We all know that Vinícius is not expected back this season after injuring a ligament in his ankle, but Carvajal’s rehab status is still a mystery. He could be back in a couple of weeks, or it could be a month. We have no earthly idea at the moment.
For the time being, Álvaro Odriozola has the chance to show his new manager that he has what it takes to be a quality rotational player with the regular right back.