Without Mbappé and without respite

Rayo-Intercontinental-Seville. That is the route of survival established by Carlo Ancelottiwhich clings to the recovery of Mendy and Alaba after Christmas to give a break to an exhausted squad who has accumulated up to 27 injuries in just four months of competition. The last one, of Mbappé, go down today, that already He was missing in the derby against Atlético due to another muscle mishap. In exchange, Madrid recovers Camavinga for this duel against Ray that, if he wins it, he will be the leader (follow the game live on AS.com).

Mbappédespite his absence in the last two calls for his team, has already accumulated 24 parties y 1,912 minutes of game. It is true that he has not had the expected success, but his acclimatization has been quick. Two other players in the squad, Rüdiger and Valverde, have now reached 28 matches, between club and national team, which would be 75% of a complete League. and they touch 2,500 minutes on the field. Miraculously, they have escaped the casualty report. Bellingham also passes 2,000 minutes. They all arrived with hardly any preseason, a week before the European Super Cup match and without any friendly filming. Another player who joined in August, Carvajal, is injured. And to the short squad we must add Ancelotti’s criteria, which delays changes for a long time (Mbappé’s injury on the sidelines, in Bergamo the first refreshments arrived in the 83rd minute). That reduces the current group to 15 real field players available, because virtual players must consider Endrick (149 minutes) and Vallejo (10), plus the youth squad Asensio.

Asencio, Tchouameni, Camavinga…

That will have in Vallecas, with little capacity of rotation. It seems clear that Rodrygo He will be the replacement for Mbappé, but his data does not reassure: He has neither scored nor assisted since September 24. It is at its lowest moment since its arrival. The roar of the club and the stands is already reaching him. Other decisions seem less simple considering that the team will play the Intercontinental, one of the seven competitions of the longest year in its history, on Wednesday in Qatar. It is possible that Asencio go back to the ownership after two substitute games and what Tchouameni regains his place in the center of the field. From there it will be Ancelotti who decides if refreshes to one of his untouchables (Valverde and Bellingham). If he maintains them, there would only be one free place and four candidates: Ceballos, Modric, Güler and Brahim, in order of least to greatest probabilities. Camavinga will have minutes, but hardly from the beginning.

He Ray comes with 19 points, figure that points to a quiet salvation for almost everyone except those from Vallecas, whose second rounds have been disastrous since returned to First four seasons ago. Eight points less in the second half of the campaign last year, nine in the previous year and 24 in 21-22, when it came in the zone Champions to matchday 19 and finished 12th in matchday 38.

It has reached the middle of the table clinging to his defense, because another bad symptom of recent times is the lack of goal from their strikers. Of the team’s 15 goalssolo three are from their forwards, two from Camello and one from Nteka. Sergi Guardiola is blank and Raul de Tomas He hasn’t even made his debut in the League. Yours is a black box case. A year ago he became the signing further caro of the club’s history, but his second stage in La Franja has turned out to be an absolute failure. It does not exist for Iñigo Pérez, what has had on the bench all season. And in the last three games, not even that. The official explanation, a flu. He only disputed the first cup tieagainst Villamuriel. He scored two goals and disappeared. The other media person on the team is in the same situation, James Rodrigueza footballer who was once valued at 80 million and who this season was chosen best player of the America’s Cup. The technician doesn’t see him either. He has only started two games and He hasn’t had a minute in the last three League games.

He takes off from Ratiu

Íñigo Pérez, who is experiencing his first experience as a head coach, has a defense of a still photo. QLittle by little, Lejeune, Mumin, Chavarría and, above all, Ratiu, have become essential. A highly sought-after right-back who has seated Balliu. Born in Romania, his family emigrated to Aguaviva (Teruel) when he was only six years old. There he started playing futsal, a step prior to his signing for Andorra from Teruel. where Villarreal discovered him, which incorporated him as a child. He got to B and then ran out of room. Huesca did it for two years and in 2023 Rayo signed him, who paid half a million euros for 50% of its rights. The other 50% is kept by Villarreal. It will be a headache for his band. The rest of the team almost recites it. Óscar Valentín is a permanent midfielder with a mutant partner. The last one was Pathé Ciss. De Frutos and Álvaro García are permanent fixtures on the wingsIsi is the usual playmaker and in attack Nteka has been a starter for three games to the detriment of Camello. Today the order could change.

He Ray has been until now a thorny rival for anyone. Barça beat him in injury time, Atlético got a draw and only one of their six defeats was by more than one goal. Yes indeed, Vallecas is not doing it. If you count only their matches away, it would touch Europe. If you look at it casawould be in descent. One more rarity.

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