Wednesday marks the day that Real Madrid will return to play after the Christmas break, and they will be facing an action-packed schedule going forward. The fact of the matter is that their subsequent three matches are scheduled to take place in three separate championships.
The Merengues will begin their activities on Wednesday with a match against Mallorca, and then they will go to Arandina to compete in the Copa del Rey at a different location.
After that, the men in white will have to face a lengthy flight to Saudi Arabia, where they will compete against Atletico Madrid in the subsequent round of the Spanish Super Cup semifinals.
Taking into consideration that both of Real Madrid’s Cup matches are knockout matches, the match that will take place tomorrow versus Mallorca takes on an even greater significance. This is the perfect opportunity for Carlo Ancelotti’s team to test the waters and take up where they left off in 2023 during their time together.
In anticipation of Real Madrid’s match against Mallorca, Madrid Universal gives you three topics of discussion.
Deficit in defensive capabilities
It is possible that Real Madrid’s match versus Mallorca will be remembered as one of the most difficult periods in terms of the manpower that was available to them. To put it another way, Carlo Ancelotti just has one center back available for the match that will take place tomorrow.
A recent injury to David Alaba’s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) caused Madrid to experience a significant setback. As a result of this setback, the men in white were limited to just two starting choices in central defense when the injury occurred. The deterioration of the circumstance did not take place for very long.
Within the first few minutes of the second half, Nacho Fernandez was sent off for a risky tackle that he committed while playing against Alaves. Because of this, the captain will not be able to play in the match against Mallorca that will take place at home tomorrow. As a result, Ancelotti will only have Antonio Rudiger available as his center defender.
During the press conference that took place before the match, the Italian manager emphasized that Real Madrid is not interested in signing any replacement defenders to give support in the position. Rather than that, Aurelien Tchouameni is going to be the one to take on the obligation, and the first test that he will take in the role in 2024 will take place tomorrow.
It goes without saying that the Frenchman and his combination with Rudiger will play a significant role in determining the outcome of the match while also determining how Real Madrid will start the new year. A lackluster performance might even rekindle Los Blancos’ interest in acquiring a player from another club.
Golden returns
The board of directors has proposed that Rodriguez be signed for the Castilla squad immediately, despite the fact that there have been no initial contacts established between Real Madrid and Penarol as of yet.
Federico Valverde, who spent his first few years in Europe with the reserve squad before making the transition to the main team, is the model that the Merengues aim to follow. The Merengues intend to follow the model that was designed for Federico Valverde.
Once the surgery with the midfielder was completed, it is important to emphasize that the relationship between Penarol and Real Madrid has not changed and continues to be great.
However, it is now unknown if Los Blancos would sign Rodriguez on a loan with an option to purchase or on a permanent move. This is because the situation is currently uncertain.
at addition, it is important to acknowledge that the goalkeeping situation at Castilla is also a source of controversy. The continuity of Lucas Cañizares is now uncertain, which may possibly provide a position for the Uruguayan player.
