[ad_1]
Real Madrid will miss central midfielder Fede Valverde for at least a month, and that is a huge void that this team must fill after the international break.
October’s player of the month for Real Madrid, Fede Valverde, has been in charge time and again for Los Blancos since the start of the 2019-2020 season. His emergence as a true star player in midfield has been immense for Real Madrid, as he has played a starring role in so many important games, including each of the last three Clásicos and the Spanish Super Cup win over Atlético de Madrid.
Unfortunately, Valverde will have to miss at least a month with a fractured tibia, compounding Real’s massive injury problems to start the season. Dani Carvajal is still out, so Real have two key starters with Fede also on the shelf.
Real Madrid can’t replace Valverde one-on-one, but if these three players can step up in their absence, Los Blancos can still get the points they need. Tough matches are still ahead, including Villarreal and Inter Milan right after the break.
DM Casemiro
Perhaps no one needs to go one step further at the plate than Casemiro, whose presence was greatly missed in the defeat at Mestalla.
But Casemiro hasn’t had his best start to the 2020-2021 season. He was brilliant in 2019-2020, establishing himself as the best player in his position. Unfortunately, he has failed to meet that standard this season, and is forced to make mistakes easily. Opponents have pointed to Case as Real’s weak link in pressing and defensively, the Brazilian has not lived up to his usual world-class standard.
Fede Valverde is not a defensive midfielder, but he brings a lot to Real’s defense with his career and energy. He’s also great at making passes to transition to counterattacks. So Casemiro’s passing and his defensive influence in general should be excellent when Real Madrid return to the field without Valverde in the lineup.
Real Madrid, Luka Modric (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno / Getty Images)
CM Luka Modric
Possibly Real Madrid’s best outfield player of the new seasons, Luka Modric was one of Mestalla’s few bright spots. He has the defensive knowledge, work pace and ball handling to play a deeper role. Real Madrid may have to move to a double pivot when Casemiro is unavailable, and Modric can fill that role.
More of The true champions
With Valverde out, Modric is a good bet to start every game, whether on the right with Toni Kroos or on the left with Martin Odegaard substituting as right midfielder so he can cross the field with his left foot.
Modric, according to WhoScored.com, is Real’s leader in combined key passes and dribbles completed per game at 2.0 and 1.9, respectively. He has also scored some incredible goals this season, including one from long distance against Shakhtar Donetsk and the closing goal of the game at Camp Nou.
Always important to Real, whether as a starter or coming off the bench, Modric’s engine has become much more crucial over the next month without Fede Valverde available.
CM Martin Odegaard
Toni Kroos and Ferland Mendy are credible screams, but here another midfielder must be highlighted. Martin Odegaard recently returned from an injury of his own, coming off the bench in a loss to Valencia on Sunday.
Real Madrid have high hopes for Odegaard this season, if he can stay healthy. They will be careful not to pressure another young player, but it is fair to say that Zinedine Zidane called Odegaard from Real Sociedad for a reason; sees the Norwegian playmaker as an important piece in 2020-2021.
Odegaard briefly showed his promise on matchday one in a 0-0 draw at the Anoeta Stadium against his former club, but he has not been able to really shine since then, mainly thanks to an injury suffered in the last international break.
But Odegaard should be 100 percent for Real Madrid’s next game against Villarreal, who are emerging as a title contender with their own impressive Madrid playmaker on loan at Takefusa Kubo.
Do you want your voice to be heard? Join The Real Champs team!
Write for us!
A great key for Odegaard will be to replace the scoring job (three so far this season) and Valverde’s defense. Odegaard is not known for his defense, but he is a good presser and works hard for the team.
[ad_2]
