Real Madrid News
Real Madrid youngster could start as left-back vs Valencia in Super Cup semi-finals
During Real Madrid’s recent training session at the Al Nassr Sports Complex in Riyadh ahead of their Spanish Super Cup semi-final clash against Valencia, left-back Ferland Mendy was nowhere to be seen.
Mendy’s absence from the training complex, due to a reported overload in his calf muscle, is expected to hit Real Madrid much harder especially since Aurelien Tchouameni and David Alaba are already absent.
So in order to overcome the issue, manager Carlo Ancelotti will be forced to take some tough decisions, with the manager considering deploying Eduardo Camavinga on the left side of defence, as per Spanish publication Diario AS.
It must be remembered that this is not going to be unfamiliar territory for the young Frenchman in the first place.
The 20-year-old midfielder put in a solid shift at this position for France during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and this included a substitute appearance as a left-back against Argentina in the final as well.
So, as per the report, the Madrid defence could likely consist of Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger and Camavinga, although Nacho Fernandez is also an option for Ancelotti.
Furthermore, with Tchouameni absent, veteran midfielder Toni Kroos is likely to take up his position as the No. 6 and the German is expected to be joined by Luka Modric on the left and Federico Valverde on right.
In attack, the usual suspects, Rodrygo (right), Vinicius Jr (left) and Karim Benzema (centre) will line up and look to cause Valencia all sorts of problems.
All the shuffling in defence and midfield is could cause Ancelotti’s side some problems against Gennaro Gattuso’s Valencia tomorrow night. A win against Los Che will set Real Madrid up for a final clash against Barcelona or Real Betis.
The cloud of uncertainty over Karim Benzema’s future has served as a major headache for the Real Madrid board, as they kickstart their team planning ahead of the new season.
Recent reports claim the Frenchman is strongly considering a move to Saudi Arabia, after receiving a lucrative €150 million offer from Al Ittihad. He was close to renewing his contract at Santiago Bernabeu not too long ago, but it appears the tables have turned lately.
Nevertheless, Real Madrid are yet to give up on Benzema and still harbour hopes of renewing his contract in the coming weeks, reports Alfredo Matilla.
The Spanish journalist suggests Real Madrid have not closed the file on Benzema. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has recently met the forward to clarify his future and it appears the club are set to do everything they can to keep hold of the player.
Benzema’s departure, after all, could put the club in a major dilemma, where they must either sign a top-class striker or settle for a low-cost alternative for the entirety of next season.
Harry Kane has been earmarked as the ideal replacement for Benzema. But his acquisition could potentially jeopardise Real Madrid’s bid to sign either Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe in 2024. The club have also faced difficulties negotiating with Daniel Levy, the Spurs chairman.
As far as the low-cost options are concerned, Real Madrid are interested in Roberto Firmino, who will become a free agent in the summer.
However, the Brazilian international is not the most productive striker around and his struggles in front of goal could put more pressure on players like Vinicius Junior next season.
Real Madrid, therefore, will hope to keep hold of Benzema’s services for another year. Unfortunately, though, the player has given a cold response so far and left training early, without speaking too much.
So it will be interesting to see whether or not the veteran striker opts to remain at Bernabeu for another year.
