Real Madrid: Three players who must be rested against Sheriff

Casemiro

Coming to the midfield, Federico Valverde has started every game this season, and didn’t take long to impress Ancelotti. He also played every game for Uruguay in the September international break. So logically, it would be better to see Valverde being rested, instead of Casemiro, who got to rest against RCD Mallorca last Wednesday. But I’m looking at the bigger picture here, due to which I feel Casemiro should be the one to be rested.

The Brazilian has played a total of 3940 minutes in the 2020/21 season and has played 607 minutes this season. And these are the figures of his playing time at Real Madrid, excluding the games he plays for Brazil for whom he’s the captain for some games and has to play almost every game with frequent travel.

Honestly, these numbers indicate clear overuse. Casemiro might have age on his side, and he does have a great fitness routine, but he can’t prevent the overuse from having an impact on his body and even on his game. He has started this season on a bad note, with his performances not up to the standard we expect from Casemiro, who’s one of Real Madrid’s most important players. The bad form might come down to a change in role, but the Brazilian’s lack of rest is also a factor and we can’t deny that. Not to forget that he was in action till the second week of July, and didn’t have a long vacation.

Under Zidane, Casemiro was undroppable due to his consistency and a lack of backup. But now, Carlo has Camavinga available, Kroos returning, and he has also seen Blanco emerging. At this point, he shouldn’t hesitate to rotate Casemiro, even if the team is suffering defensively. It’s for everyone’s good, and the rest Casemiro gets will only prove to be beneficial for him in the long run.