Real Madrid will use a forward as a backup fullback
By Ben Sundock
Lucas Vazquez will be making more appearances when the La Liga campaign resumes. However, we will not be seeing him in his usual right-wing role.
The injury to Nacho Fernandez is a huge blow for Real Madrid as the La Liga campaign finally gets back underway this weekend. The multipurpose defender suffered a thigh injury during training late last week and will be sidelined for nearly a month.
With Alvaro Odriozola out on loan for the remainder of this season with Bayern Munich, the options to back up Dani Carvajal are incredibly limited. Eder Militao has the ability to move out wide and play as a fullback, but the coachign staff may be hesitant to start him there.
He has played there with Brazilian national team and was deployed as the RB during the last match Real Madrid played (the 2-1 loss at Real Betis).
Manager Zinedine Zidane is preparing for every possible scenario with 11 matches remaining and that has seen Lucas Vazquez drop in to play some at right fullback. Vazquez has some experience playing at right-back and has been doing well adapting during recent training sessions.
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It’s no mystery that Los Blancos have the depth at right-wing at the moment and Vazquez is not high enough up the pecking order to be considered a regular starter. If Gareth Bale can stay healthy, Zidane has Bale, a now healthy Marco Asensio, Rodrygo, and Brahim Diaz all as quality options.
It makes far more sense for Lucas to make a slight adjustment and play deeper. The Spaniard has played some defense in his professional career and Zizou has used him wisely.
Remember, Zidane deployed Lucas Vazquez as the starting right-back in the second leg of the Champions League semifinal in 2018 and Julen Lopetegui used him in the same spot against Sevilla and FC Barcelona.
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Real Madrid’s defense has been worlds better during 2020 after a poor start to the campaign in the fall. The shakeup could cause some problems, but with so much time in training, I have faith in Zinedine Zidane to have his players ready.
Considering that FIFA will allow five substitutes per match, expect to see a good amount of Lucas Vazquez as he tries to prove that he should not be sold by the club.