Real Madrid only has Rodrygo and Joselu Mato as senior options for the attack now that Vinicius Junior is anticipated to be out until the end of January with a hamstring injury. This has left Real Madrid with just two senior alternatives for the attack.
They may be able to improve their roster in January, but until then, they will rely on promising young players to fill the vacancies that have been created by injured players. The competition to replace Vinicius was supposed to be between Alvaro Rodriguez, who was a member of the first squad during the previous campaign, and Gonzalo Garcia Torres, who has been doing very well for Castilla.
Carlo Ancelotti has chosen the second option, and he provided an explanation for his decision at his pre-match news conference (via MD) on the day before his team’s trip to Cadiz on Sunday.
“Gonzalo and Nico Paz have both been brought on board. The time that Alvaro Rodriguez spent playing in the major leagues (the previous season) was marked by notable success. After his return to Castilla, his overall performance was noticeably down. Because Joselu is associated with his profile, he has less opportunities available to him. Gonzalo has a distinctive appearance.”
Gonzalo has not yet made his debut for Real Madrid’s senior team, but the club has a challenging schedule coming up over the next few weeks, so there is a good probability that he will get the opportunity to do so before Vinicius returns.