Real Madrid: 5 players who must step up with Sergio Ramos, Dani Carvajal suspended
CB Eder Militao
Since Sergio Ramos is suspended and Raphael Varane is coming off a missed game due to a blow to the head, Eder Militao must have another massive performance for Real Madrid, perhaps even as the leader of the defense pending Varane’s status.
Militao has passed test after test, putting in arguably his best work against Athletic Bilbao at San Mames this past weekend. The Brazilian center back has the composure, speed, and technical quality to be a star in La Liga, and each game is an opportunity to make another impression on Zinedine Zidane.
DM Casemiro
Finally, Casemiro is a player to watch closely for Real Madrid against Athletic Bilbao. He is La Liga’s most consistent player and the best defensive midfielder in the world, having emphasized his quality in that memorable 2-0 win over Barcelona in which he completely shut down fellow La Liga superstar Lionel Messi.
Casemiro’s colossal performances continued on Sunday with fierce tackling and intelligent marking against Bilbao. The Brazilian always seems to give more than 100 percent, no matter how often he’s played or the quality of the opposition.
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His tireless covering will be needed with Carvajal and Ramos both out of the lineup, and it will be Casemiro who must step up when bombarding forward to join the attack, replacing Ramos in that sense. He may even get a free kick opportunity with Ramos out, too.