Carlo Ancelotti’s midfield plans to cope with injury crisis ahead of crucial matches – report

Real Madrid suffered a triple injury blow in their final game ahead of the recently concluded international break with Rodrygo, Eder Militao and Lucas Vazquez suffering setbacks against Osasuna.

As the team returns from the break, they will likely be unable to count on any of the three stars. After all, Militao will not feature again this season while Vazquez and Rodrygo are still not at their 100%.

To compensate for the right-back’s absence, the manager is reportedly set to deploy Federico Valverde as a stand-in defender against Leganes and The Athletic now reveals the plan to get over the Uruguayan’s absence in midfield.

The midfield manoeuvre

As relayed by the outlet, the manager plans to bring in a central midfielder with good ability on the ball like Luka Modric to the starting lineup, while also making use of the extra slot in the middle of the park given Valverde’s likely placement.

To maximise the Croatian star’s line-breaking ability and vision, Ancelotti is set to utilise the services of a creative star like Brahim Diaz who has been an asset for the club in recent times.

The Moroccan winger has scored five goals in the last two games for his national team and is in impeccable attacking and goalscoring form at the moment. Needless to say, Ancelotti hopes to utilise his good momentum to further the team’s performance.

Furthermore, once Valverde returns to his natural position, the coach would see the Uruguayan star as part of the ideal defensive midfield alongside Eduardo Camavinga.

They will be the first-choice barring any physical setbacks with Tchouameni serving as an added option, especially in the short term. The Frenchman’s primary role, however, will be to aid in central defence given the situation.

Moreover, Dani Ceballos is also seen as a valid alternative option in midfield alongside Modric and will likely see more minutes in the coming weeks.