Ranking Real Madrid’s 3 most important backup players
By Sudhir Salvi
With Real Madrid looking to go all the way in La Liga, Spanish Super Cup, Copa del Rey and the Champions League, now is the perfect time to use the fringe players.
In the earlier parts of the season, Carlo Ancelotti got away with using his first-choice players on a regular basis as there were no knockout games every week, but that is exactly what is about to happen in the upcoming few months of the season subject to Los Blancos advancing in the competitions which they are participating in.
Which are the side’s three most important backup players for the duration of the remaining season?
#3- ANDRIY LUNIN
Thibaut Courtois has had a clean slate of injuries since arriving at Real Madrid in 2018, particularly since Keylor Navas departed as his understudy following the end of the 2018/19 campaign. The Belgium international has been one of the side’s most important players in recent months and undoubtedly, he needs to be rested going forward to avoid a lapse of fitness at some point.
Lunin has appeared only once officially for Real Madrid, last year in the Copa del Rey versus Alcoyano. He will get his chance at the same stadium, same competition, same stage and versus the same opponent later on in the week and may need to play more regularly at least in the Copa del Rey. The Ukrainian without a doubt has some big boots to fill in the next weeks to come.
The next four to five months of the season may even make or break Lunin’s career at the Santiago Bernabeu as any failures in taking chances could see a now cash rich Real Madrid draw for a backup goalkeeper from the transfer market.