Real Madrid News
Real Madrid handed major boost as key Liverpool midfielder picks up hamstring injury
Carlo Ancelotti’s side take on Liverpool in the finals of the UEFA Champions League in one week’s time, and have been handed a major boost following the final matchday of the Premier League season.
According to reports from Sky Sports, the Premier League side will likely be without their midfield star Thiago Alcantara for the game in Paris.
The Spanish international started Liverpool’s final league clash against Wolves earlier but was forced off at half-time owing to an injury. The former Bayern Munich man was involved in his team’s equaliser in the first half but pulled his hamstring later in the game.
Thiago’s absence comes as a big blow to Jurgen Klopp’s side. The 31-year-old has been a regular in his side’s starting XI this season, scoring one goal and providing four assists in the process.
This would be the second final Thiago would miss for his club, having already missed the League Cup final against Chelsea in February. Surprisingly, the player missed that fixture owing to a hamstring injury too.
The club have not released any official statement about the Spaniard’s injury or how long he will be out. However, recovering from a hamstring injury in less than a week is undoubtedly a big ask.
His absence hands Real Madrid a massive boost in their pursuit of the UCL title. While the Reds still have a formidable squad, Thiago’s absence will certainly help Los Blancos control the proceedings on the night,
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
Nytt Doctor
May 24, 2022 at 3:07 pm
He’s a fantastic Player but I don’t think with or without him changes the direction of Liverpool….as a Madrid fan we just have to focus on our own game…we have to play well against this Liverpool side…. let’s go… Hala Madrid 😍🔥