Real Madrid’s manager Carlo Ancelotti seems to have found out his best combination that can win games from him. Except for the spot on the right-wing, it is easier to identify the number one choice for every other position. And his players have repaid the faith he has shown in them, with the team winning 5 out of the 6 games played in the last month, with three consecutive wins that ended with a scoreline of 2-1.
But one can observe a minor problem with Carlo Ancelotti’s management, as he has been rigid with his rotation policy. He has hesitated to rest his key players like Karim Benzema, Casemiro, Vinicius Jr, Toni Kroos etc., and has proceeded with similar-looking lineups for most of the games. A manager going with his best team for every game is never a bad thing, but there is a risk of burnout at some point in the season, which will affect the team in the worst way possible.
And this is something Carlo Ancelotti had experienced in his second season as a Real Madrid manager, during which an injury to an important player like Luka Modric caused the season to derail, with Real Madrid bowing out of the Champions League and the LaLiga title race in a matter of weeks.
This calls for the need to rotate the team, to avoid the potential scenario of burnout and an injury crisis. There is a need to manage the workload of regular starters, particularly that of players who play regularly for both club and country.
11/21 at Granada
11/24 at Sheriff
11/28 vs. Sevilla
12/1 vs. Athletic Club
12/4 at Real Sociedad
12/7 vs. Inter Milan
12/12 vs. Atletico Madrid
This is Real Madrid’s schedule for the next four weeks, as back to back to back big games have been scheduled with a minimal gap in between games for the players to recover and prepare for the next game. According to MARCA, Real Madrid have already expressed their concern regarding the upcoming schedule, which could possibly become worse with the confirmation of the Bilbao game that was postponed in October.
This hectic schedule does demand a lot from the strength and conditioning coach Antonio Pintus, but it also calls for better workload management of the players and better rotation from the manager. So let us have a look at three such players who could be very useful to fill in for a starter, and can repay the manager’s faith.
Eduardo Camavinga
When you have midfield options like Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Casemiro, and Fede Valverde, you wouldn’t want to invest a lot of money to sign another midfielder, because anyone would be unsure of the playing time that would be given to the player. That player is Eduardo Camavinga in this case, on whom more than 30 million euros were spent.
I didn’t expect to see a lot of Camavinga in this season, but I’ve been happy with the way he has been given responsibility from his first day in Madrid and the way he got to start against some mid-table LaLiga teams and even got to play as a sub in a handful of games. He started two of the six matches sandwiched between the last two international breaks, both as a central midfielder.
I’m still not completely satisfied with the way Camavinga has been playing, as he is making some mistakes that you expect from a teenager from time to time, particularly with the way he dives into making rash fouls and ends up with a yellow card. But his performances have been convincing to some extent, and they are enough to gain the manager’s trust.
He has played as a central midfielder so far, covering mostly for Luka Modric or Fede Alverde, by playing in the right-sided central midfielder role. But he has never been used in his natural position of a defensive midfielder. Casemiro has been the undisputed starter for Real Madrid in that position for years, playing most of the time without a proper backup.
With an able player like Camavinga in the side, maybe it is time for Carlo Ancelotti to rest Casemiro for a relatively easier game in a tight schedule, and entrust a supremely talented player like Camavinga with the duty of covering for the Brazilian tank. Not to forget that Casemiro is a regular starter for Brazil as well.
At the beginning of the season, Antonio Blanco was assumed to be Casemiro’s backup. But now it seems unlikely that Blanco will be used anytime soon, with lack of regular playing time giving us further reason to rule out a first-team start. At such a time, it would make sense to try Camavinga in Casemiro’s position, which looks like a practical option for Carlo Ancelotti.
Nacho
After watching Nacho for years in the royal white jersey, it shouldn’t be surprising for any fan to find Nacho in the list. The one-club man has never been a fixed starter for Real Madrid in his carer, but he has always accepted a backup role and filled in the backline whenever there was an injury in any position, giving his best on the field.
Given his versatility to play well as a CB, RB, and an LB, he has always got the chances that he deserved for his talent. This season hasn’t been any different, as Nacho has already played around 800 minutes this season, scoring a goal as well.
He was a regular starter at the beginning of the season, as he started the first nine games of the season, as different players missed out. But once Ferland Mendy and Dani Carvajal returned to their full fitness, Nacho was benched and average performances at the beginning of the season didn’t give an edge over anyone else, as he has played just 25 minutes in the last six games.
Now might finally be the time for Carlo Ancelotti to bring Nacho back into action, with a tight schedule coming up. Ancelotti has been skeptical of rotating his team, which implies that he can’t rely easily on anyone else. But Nacho is a player who can easily convince the stubbornest of the managers, with his experience, versatility, and loyalty.
With Dani Carvajal not yet at his 100% and him trying hard to reach his best fitness levels, there is a need for Ancelotti to use Carvajal cleverly. And even Alaba and Militao require rest, with both of them being regular staters for their respective nations, which increases the need to manage their workload, particularly in the case of the Brazilian who has played almost every single minute this season. This presents Carlo Ancelotti with a perfect opportunity to use Nacho, which will be beneficial for everyone.
Eden Hazard
When we signed Eden Hazard in the summer of 2019, we expected to see him become a player who can lead the frontline of Real Madrid. It’s a shame that we are having to talk of him as a player who can be useful for rotations. But it is what it is, and nothing can be done about that. Eden Hazard is not the player he once was, but he is still a great player, who is short on confidence, something that can be understood from his game on the field.
I initially thought of including Luka Jovic as the final name on this list, because of the fact that he is the backup to Karim Benzema, a player who desperately needs some rest from time to time. Karim Benzema has been massively overused in the past few months, and his return to the French national team has increased the burden on him. And given that Vinicius has proved himself to be capable enough to lead the frontline, that would open the doors for the Serbian. But in all honesty, the thought of Ancelotti suddenly trusting a player who hasn’t even completed 100 minutes on the pitch for Real Madrid this season doesn’t sound practical. And even Vinicius requires some rest, as he has been used a lot this season.
If there is any player in this squad who is capable of covering for any of Benzema or Vinicius, it is Eden Hazard. While Vinicius’ position on the left wing is Eden Hazard’s natural position and can act as a natural replacement, the Belgian can fill in for the French striker by playing as a false-9. And even Carlo Ancelotti seems to have liked the idea, as he utilized Hazard as a false-9 for a few minutes this season.
Hazard has played a total of 416 minutes for Real Madrid this season, which makes his situation not much better than that of Luka Jovic. And considering Ancelotti’s apparent lack of faith in both Hazard and Jovic, it is difficult to see Carlo Ancelotti trusting any of them for a big game. But Hazard is still a talented player, and all he needs is some confidence to improve his underwhelming performances. And that confidence boost can only be given in the form of a start.
Hazard hasn’t played a lot as a false-nine at Real Madrid, and there is an argument that Hazard as a false-9 might not work. But there is nothing wrong with experimenting, right? Especially when it is an experienced player desperate to stage a come-back and rejuvenate his Real Madrid career.