Real Madrid defender has huge chance to impress national team
Real Madrid have suffered so many injuries to their back line this season, as Zinedine Zidane has only been able to count on his ideal back four of Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, Ferland Mendy, and Dani Carvajal a handful of times in 2020-2021. And for this Sunday’s must-win match against fourth-place Sevilla, Zidane will have none of those four players available.
He will, however, have Nacho Fernandez and Eder Militao in central defense. Both players have been excellent in the places of Varane and Ramos this season, with Nacho getting a lot of game time due to multiple injuries to Ramos. And when Nacho starts, Real don’t miss a beat. The versatile defender can play at either fullback position, but he has truly separated himself this season in central defense.
On Matchday 35 against his beloved former manager Julen Lopetegui, Nacho has a huge opportunity to impress the Spanish national team. Madridistas have been wondering why Nacho isn’t getting the call-up to Spain based on his excellent work this season, and this could be Nacho’s chance to make a statement.
Because according to Jose Maria Lopez of AS, Spanish national team manager Luis Enrique is traveling to the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano to watch Real Madrid vs. Sevilla head-on. He’ll be scouting out a lot of talented Sevilla players for possible selection, including Jesus Navas, whose window is closing.
Luis Enrique will get to see Nacho in person during Real Madrid vs. Sevilla
But he’ll also get a chance to see Nacho in person. Sure, Luis Enrique could have taken notice of Nacho in any of his performances on television this season, including some stalwart displays against Serie A’s finest in the Champions League.
There is something different about getting the chance to see a player in person, though. Beyond that, a player can really make an impression by standing out when they know the national team manager is watching. Luis Enrique may have his eyes on Navas, Joan Jordan, and others on Sevilla, but Nacho can easily steal the show with a stalwart defensive play, leading the team to a clean sheet without Ramos and Varane.
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Nacho has risen to the occasion many times this season, so let’s see if he can do the same vs. Sevilla. He never needs added motivation to perform, but knowing a national team selection is on the line can only increase his drive.