Carlo Ancelotti must find new solutions given all the injuries that have occurred in Madrid in recent weeks.
The international break was good for Real, in that there was no additional damage and the players in the infirmary were able to take advantage of these two weeks to work quietly. Thibaut Courtois, for example, has fully recovered while Rodrygo and Lucas Vazquez could return next week even though the projections for the latter were more worrying.
However, Carlo Ancelotti still has major problems in the defensive sector. He no longer has a right back and should rely on Fede Valverde to fill this hole in defense and there is still uncertainty regarding the axis. Indeed, only Antonio Rüdiger is in good health while Jesus Vallejo is absolutely not part of his coach's plans.
Ancelotti established his hierarchy
According to the daily AS, following Eder Militao's injury for the entire season, Carlo Ancelotti is impatiently awaiting the return of Aurélien Tchouaméni because he believes that he is his best option to cover the position as it stands. However, the Frenchman has not yet returned to training and he will not be there at Anfield either.
Then, the Italian would have decided on his hierarchy in defense and he would intend to install Raúl Asencio as a third defensive option in the event of a problem for Rudiger or Tchouaméni, which already implies a start for the young Spaniard this weekend in Leganés in the absence of the Frenchman.
Finally, AS assures that the fourth option was found by Carlo Ancelotti and no, it is not Jesus Vallejo: it is Ferland Mendy. The other Frenchman in the squad is considered by his coach as the emergency solution to play in the center, and Fran Garcia would occupy the left side of the defense in this extreme case.
In 2021, Ferland Mendy had already been repositioned as a central hinge following the decision of Zinédine Zidane, who wanted to grant more freedom to Marcelo on the defensive left side…
