The FIFA Virus was cruel with Real Madrid once again. In the same stadium, rival and date as Sami Khedira, Luka Modrić suffered an injury with his national team. The Croatian will be away from the pitches for at least two months, with others predicting he won’t be back until March. Regardless of this, it’s a sensitive loss for Los Blancos.
Carlo Ancelotti had to deal with this situation last year with Khedira. The German was also a regular starter and everyone foresaw a catastrophe. However, he went to the drawing board and hit the jackpot by putting Di María in that spot. There’s no guarantee the Italian will get lucky again, still we’ll take a look at what his options are.
Isco
The Andalusian is stealing the show lately, not only at his club, but at the international level as well. He’s gotten used to playing in the midfield, yet he would have to double or triple his efforts in the defense.
In addition, he would need to work on his weakness, which is losing balls because of a longer retention time. The press and the fans pin him as the favorite.
Sami Khedira
He could return to a starting role in style. He provides more muscle and more defensive/tactical focus. Nevertheless, you lose a lot of technical and dribbling ability.
Mourinho was able to bring the best out of Khedira and it could work again. His chemistry with Kroos in the German national team is his biggest selling point. This would be the most logical move.
Asier Illarramendi
Under criticism after his night at Dortmund last season, the fans haven’t given him another chance. Ancelotti seemed to renew his trust in him, still Asier hasn’t delivered performances worthy of a big club.
Tactical discipline, defensive focus and passing accuracy make him a good candidate. He’s the least favorite one to take the spot, but he could explode.
Álvaro Medrán
The La Fábrica product is probably not even on the lists of fans or the club. His youth and lack of experience make this an uphill battle. He has been compared to Modrić, with similar physical and technical attributes.
In another era at Real, using the youth system wouldn’t be a bad bet. This is a long shot, yet Carlo has shown admiration for the youngster.
Real has a limited selection of options. Should all of these fail, we’re close enough to January to attend the transfer market and sign a solid replacement. Buying in winter isn’t always great, with few clubs willing to sell important players. What’s clear is that the club is in for a headache and they need to find relief soon.
