Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane will need to carefully navigate his way through a difficult next month full of crucial fixtures. With La Liga and Champions League to deal with, the boss should rest Ferland Mendy and start Marcelo this weekend against Levante.
This could potentially be seen as controversial given the poor result at home against Celta Vigo this past weekend where Marcelo started and played the full 90 minutes, but I think Zizou should rest his French fullback and have him fully fit for both the UCL clash with Manchester City and El Clasico on March 1.
There are several key factors to my reasoning. First, Mendy has been a staple of Zidane’s starting XI for months and has made 21 appearances at left-back while Marcelo has made just 13.
With so many crucial matches to play in the next 30 days or so, the team needs to stay healthy and have the energy to compete with some of the best clubs in Spain and Europe.
Second, Mendy is far too close to receiving a suspension to risk in this match against a mid-table side. He is just one yellow card away from picking up a one-match ban and with that potentially coming in the season deciding match against FC Barcelona, it is better to use Marcelo here.
The third and final reason is also the connection that Marcelo has established with Vinicius Junior. The teenager has been in great form as of late and wouldn’t be a surprise start in place of Eden Hazard on Saturday.
The two Brazilian players are always looking to push forward which could expose the flank for counter-attacks, but the speed of Vini and the help from the center backs should ease any doubts the fans or coaching staff have.
There is little doubt that Mendy is the better option defensively, but the way Marcelo can assist the forward line still makes him a valuable piece of this team and one that Zidane will use whenever he sees fit.