Real Madrid right back Dani Carvajal has been injured again. Not long after his third appearance since returning from another multi-week injury, the star defender suffered an injury in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea this Tuesday.
Per COPE’s Arancha Rodriguez, Carvajal is out for at least three weeks.
But for all intents and purposes, the Spanish international’s season is over.
So let’s take a look at three players who must step up with the 29-year-old injured once more. There are only a handful of matches left in the La Liga title race, in addition to the remaining Champions League fixtures Los Blancos may play.
CB Nacho Fernandez
We begin with Nacho, who has been one of the most improved players of the season for Los Merengues. The veteran defender has mostly been a standout at center back this season, starting whenever Sergio Ramos has been injured. With Ramos set to return soon, Nacho can play as a fullback again.
So he may be Real’s best option at right back. No, Nacho cannot get forward like Carvajal, but he is a steady defender and someone Zinedine Zidane can trust. And the manager may prefer Nacho to Alvaro Odriozola, regardless of the difference in speed between the two men.
CM Fede Valverde
Although Fede Valverde is a midfielder, the young Uruguayan showed he can be a competent right back in a pinch against Liverpool. Valverde started the match on the right side of a back four and helped Los Blancos keep a clean sheet in a 0-0, second leg draw at Anfield. No, he wasn’t perfect, but he definitely did well and held his own against Sadio Mane.
So Valverde is an option at right back for Real Madrid. But he may also be of use further up the pitch in replacing Dani Carvajal. If Zidane has to start Odriozola, whom he does not seem to trust, then Valverde could be the option on the right side of the midfield or even the wing. Valverde could help cover for Odriozola defensively, since the Spanish international’s positioning is so poor.
No matter what, Valverde is an important player to Real down the stretch of the season. Like Ramos, he’s set to return soon, as he tested positive for COVID-19 after already missing a match due to being in close contact with someone else who tested positive.
Valverde is not an ideal right back, but he is a competent option due to his athleticism and work ethic. As we saw with Lucas Vazquez on the right, work ethic can sometimes make all the difference at an unknown position.
RB Alvaro Odriozola
And lastly, we will discuss the only actual right back left standing on the roster. Real Madrid will probably have to bolster the position this summer in light of Dani Carvajal’s constant injuries, and they could even replace Alvaro Odriozola with someone better defensively.
Odriozola is not the worst player around and has some positive traits, though. He’s very fast and can help support an attack effectively. The problem is that he makes too many mistakes. Odriozola seems clueless at times and will take himself out of plays or even give attackers a clear shot due to his failure to close down the angle.
Real Madrid may have to start Odriozola in a crucial game before the season ends, in lieu of a true right back. Nacho and Valverde will be preferred in Zidane’s eyes, but that doesn’t mean Odriozola won’t start at all.
If he does, he needs to improve, big-time. He’s been dreadful in most of his appearances this season, and Madridistas have no confidence in him. It’s now or never for the former Real Sociedad man. Because he is on his last legs when it comes to proving that he belongs in Madrid, given the disappointing displays in 2020-2021.