Real Madrid: The optimal back-four against Shakhtar if all the starters are out

The International break has again carried agony into the Real Madrid camp. Three players have returned with knocks. These include the starting CB duo of Eder Militao and David Alaba, with the third player being Eden Hazard.

Eder Militao suffered a muscle injury during Brazil’s match against Colombia and was forced off after the 71st minute. Earlier Reports state Militao could miss Real Madrid‘s next two games, against Shakhtar Donetsk in UCL and Barcelona in La Liga, but now there are reports saying he’ll be OK for the games. Still, there’s always a chance of not risking your players so that they don’t aggravate their injuries.

Los Blancos’ new acquisition David Alaba has also returned with some bruises from international duty with Austria. He is known to have picked up a knee problem. Earlier reports suggested the Austrian will be out for the game against Shakhtar. The latest reports indicate, however, that Alaba is likely to be fit for the upcoming match. With all these contrasting reports coming out, we won’t know Alaba’s status until Real Madrid releases the official squad for the game. The best we can hope is that Alaba can return to match-fitness, but even if he is in a bit of discomfort, Ancelotti can be cautious.

Real Madrid’s reluctance to get defensive reinforcements in the summer is already backfiring. These knocks add to the already thin and ravaged backline. The right-back situation is also far from ideal, as Dani Carvajal hasn’t returned to full fitness. He will also most probably miss the next game.

In the worst-case scenario, Real Madrid will start the game without their best two CBs. Let’s look at what the starting back four would look like in this situation.

There is some positive news regarding the left-back situation as both Ferland Mendy and Marcelo are back. However, Mendy hasn’t played a single game in five and a half months, so Ancelotti may be concerned about utilizing him. Also, given Marcelo’s declining form, we may not see him start the next game either. Consequently, we can expect Miguel Gutierrez to start the game against Shakhtar Donetsk. Mendy may come on as a substitute in the latter stages to gain match fitness for the upcoming matches.

The injury scares to both the starting center-backs mean that Nacho will start as a CB. The doubt lies as to who will be his defense partner. Carlo Ancelotti has previously stated the possibility of using Mendy as a CB. But again, starting him after so long will have risks. Even Casemiro could be pushed back in defense, although this is less likely. So we may finally see Real Madrid’s fourth-choice CB Jesus Vallejo start the next game. The RB position is somewhat less of a debate, as Nacho’s need at CB will mean Lucas Vazquez would be deployed here.

So Real Madrid’s starting back four against Shakhtar Donetsk could be – Miguel Gutierrez, Nacho, Jesus Vallejo, and Lucas Vazquez. This kind of backline is far from ideal for a club of Real Madrid’s stature. All Madridistas will be hoping the team somehow scrapes a result and come out with their heads held high. After all, the two defeats against Shakhtar last season still haunt many of us.