Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti usually tries not to take risks. He does the things he knows would work, or at least have worked in the past. He would trust his players in the time of need.
According to a report from Spain, however, Ancelotti will be doing something he tends not to do when Real Madrid are in bad form - as they are in LaLiga.
Let me be clear: it is not a huge risk. It is not a Vinicius Jr plays as right-back risk. It is something that people generally would appreciate Ancelotti for doing, but given the context of the league race, may be a risk.
A report from MARCA says Ancelotti is set to bench some starters for the game against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
Fede Valverde is the one name that is mentioned - as he continues to recover from his issues that almost forced him to sit out the clash against Atletico Madrid - while there could be other changes brewing inside Ancelotti's head.
The reasoning in the report is fair, Ancelotti is thinking about the return leg against Atletico, which is just three days after Real Madrid host Rayo, but there is a risk at hand. Benching Valverde is also definitely justifiable.
Los Blancos have not had the best of LaLiga campaigns. In fact, it has been one of Ancelotti's worst ones. They are currently in third place, three points off Barcelona.
Real Madrid have generally been good at home this season, but they have struggled against many teams in the league. Resting a lot of players could lead to Real Madrid being weakened against a team that drew with them back in December.
They have the players on the bench that could make the difference, of course. Rayo Vallecano, as good as they are, are not a top level team. Real Madrid could definitely win the match by starting some of their youngsters.
But it is a slight risk considering the form they are in. Ancelotti, before the game against Real Betis, mentioned how important it is to keep the league in mind, as he went with his best XI without thinking about the match against Atletico Madrid just two days later.
This is not the same level because the match is at home, but there is a lot of pressure for Real Madrid to perform well, especially considering the margin of error is so low now that they are third in the table.
On the other hand, it is also some good news as Real Madrid would finally be able to trust fringe players like Arda Guler and Endrick to play some minutes for the Royal Whites.
If this was happening against Betis, it would be considered a bigger risk, but Rayo are no easy team to face, and Real Madrid, no matter who they field against the Vallecas outfit, would need to show their A-game.