LW Vinicius Junior
I already highlighted Casemiro as one of the players who must step up with Sergio Ramos injured, and Case will obviously have to shine with Toni Kroos out as one of the two experienced midfielders left in the XI.
So instead of hammering home the importance of Casemiro making smart choices on the ball against Getafe, I want to highlight another starter who must step up on the left side of Real Madrid’s attack this Tuesday without Kroos dictating play.
Vinicius Junior had a bounce-back performance against Huesca, playing at a higher level than any other Real Madrid forward in the 2-1 win. While Vini didn’t score, he created several chances on the ball and drew a lot of fouls, stepping up for Eden Hazard with the Belgian out once more with a muscular injury.
Kroos is such an asset to Real with his ability to recycle the ball, and you can always see him pointing things out to Vinicius and making himself available whenever the young winger needs help. Every young attacker could use backup like that.
But against Getafe, Vini may have to go alone. Marcelo in midfield would be a helpful replacement, but if Antonio Blanco starts in the middle of the park, Vinicius will have to carry a major load when it comes to transitioning attacks and making good decisions playing out of the press. That honestly isn’t a strong suit for the vast majority of young wingers, so we could see Vinicius tested this week.