Real Madrid News
Ancelotti thinking of resting Real Madrid midfielder against Valladolid this weekend
Real Madrid will resume their La Liga campaign on Sunday when they take on Real Valladolid at the Santiago Bernabeu. Leading up to the game, AS is reporting that manager Carlo Ancelotti and his staff are considering resting star midfielder Federico Valverde this weekend.
The Uruguayan international returned to the team after the international break a day later than the rest of his teammates, having travelled to Asia where he led La Celeste in friendlies against Japan and South Korea.
Valverde, as per the report, is the player who has had the most minutes under his belt at Real Madrid in 2023. The midfielder has played a total of 1691 minutes out of a possible 1920 minutes for Los Blancos since the turn of the year amounting up to 88%.
On top of that, he played the entire 180 minutes across two matches for Uruguay during the international break.
Hence, given the amount of workload he has had to bear, Ancelotti and his staff are thinking of resting Valverde this weekend, so as to allow him to recharge his batteries and come back fresher and stronger for the next stretch.
Real Madrid have some vital games coming up starting with the Copa del Rey semifinal against Barcelona next week, which will be followed by tough fixtures versus Villarreal (La Liga) and Chelsea (UEFA Champions League).
The 24-year-old has netted 12 goals in 42 appearances for Real Madrid this season, which makes him the club’s third-highest goalscorer behind Vinicius Jr. and Karim Benzema (both 19).
Given Valverde’s importance within the team, it would be prudent for Ancelotti & co. to give the midfielder a break.
Rodrygo, who was away for just one game with Brazil, or Marco Asensio, who did not play for Spain, could be options for Real Madrid on the right flank where Ancelotti has deployed Valverde more often than not this season.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. admits finishing problem after another frustrating night vs Elche: ‘Can’t miss that much’
Vinicius Jr.’s difficult start in front of goal continued against Elche, and the Real Madrid forward did not need anyone to tell him he had missed another chance to make the difference.
The Brazilian finished the night without a goal despite having chances to get on the scoresheet, while his teammates could only watch from the bench as opportunities went begging.
Jose Mourinho had already identified the problem before kick-off, bluntly pointing to the issue facing his forward, stating, “He’s missing the goal.”
Vini offered an equally frank assessment afterwards.
Rather than hide from another frustrating evening, he accepted responsibility on social media: “The goals will come back; I can’t miss that much…”
Two chances, no finish for Vinicius
Vinicius had two particularly clear openings against Elche, but neither produced the finish Real Madrid needed from their star forward.
The first arrived when he found himself one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper.
Instead of finding the net, Vinicius caught the ball with the tip of his foot and sent his effort wide. Arda Guler was available during the move and called for the ball, but Vini backed himself to finish the chance.
He had another opportunity after the interval, this time following an excellent pass from Guler during a quick Real Madrid transition. Again, though, Vinicius could not find the target.
His evening ended in the 68th minute, with Mourinho deciding the Brazilian was tired and turning his attention towards Sunday’s Atletico Madrid derby.
Mourinho has a bigger decision to make
The numbers show why Vinicius’ finishing has become a talking point. He managed five shots against Elche, but only one was on target and none found the net.
After seven appearances this season, the Brazilian has scored just once, which is a striking return for a player Real Madrid rely upon to provide a major share of their attacking threat.
Ultimately, though, Real Madrid found another route to victory, with Arda Guler, Kylian Mbappe and Carlos Espi providing the goals in the 3-2 comeback.
