Real Madrid closed January with a win and a hopeful mind about the future. February will come with as much as seven matches. To start things off, they will have to visit Celta de Vigo at Balaídos to relive the Copa del Rey clash. The Galician team really complicated things for them in both the away and the home game. This time it won’t be any different, as the eighth-placed team hopes to move back to the European spots.
Preferred Lineup: 4-3-3
Zinedine Zidane may want to forget most of what happened the previous month. Unfortunately, he can’t and he must lead his team through the two remaining competitions, the UEFA Champions League and La Liga. The good news for him is that the infirmary is slowly emptying and a good deal of the injured men are expected to come back this month.
GK: Keylor Navas
He kept a clean sheet last weekend, potentially signaling the beginning of a change for him and the defense. Once the UCL returns, conceding even just one goal comes with big consequences, so he must strive to keep clean sheets.
Defense
RB: Danilo
He showed some signs of improvement against Real Sociedad and this will be very beneficial for his playing time. Since Marcelo may not be risked yet, his chances of repeating a start are very good.
CB: Raphaël Varane
The Frenchman can rest easily knowing Pepe’s future at the club seems to be coming to an end. The place he was hoping to have since he arrived will now be his to lose. Nevertheless, he shouldn’t feel like he’s untouchable now.
CB: Sergio Ramos
The captain will be key in reviving the morale of his teammates. The packed calendar has the potential of being a tough one, like January. In order to quickly get past any rough patch, he has to stay strong.
LB: Nacho Fernández
Marcelo did train with his teammates already, but his injury was a little bit worse than Modrić’s. Because of this, he may be reserved for a later date. Nacho has what it takes to take his spot.
Midfield
RCM: Luka Modrić
Like Marcelo, he trained with his teammates. His injury was minor, so playing him wouldn’t be considered a risk. If he, in fact, makes it to the final squad, his odds of starting are very high.
CM: Casemiro
Someone will need to bring the muscle and there’s nobody else that can do so. Celta proved that they have a powerful set of midfielders and attackers. His destructive work will be necessary to stop them.
LCM: Mateo Kovačić
This is a toss-up between him and Isco. Toni Kroos is out for this clash because of his fifth yellow card. Mateo’s fantastic goal and performance versus Sociedad gives him a strong edge over Isco, still, you never know with Zidane.
Attack
RW: Lucas Vázquez
He’s a safe bet after the assist he provided to Morata. He must keep doing what he does best, but he must step it up as Gareth Bale will come back very soon. When that happens, the #11 will be a regular starter.
ST: Karim Benzema
Álvaro Morata did score the third goal last Sunday, yet it’s difficult to picture Zizou keeping Benzema out unless he’s injured. Although he could indeed surprise everyone if the #21 starts, it’s not that likely.
LW: Cristiano Ronaldo
The Santiago Bernabéu confronted him in the previous game and he replied with a goal. While it isn’t good for his morale to listen to his crowd reprimand him, it’s usually what motivates him to silence any detractors.
