Raphael Varane on the Verge of Becoming a Real Madrid Regular

Raphael Varane struggled for game time in a frustrating campaign last season but will have an opportunity to prove he is worthy of a place in Carlo Ancelotti’s regular starting XI when Real Madrid travel to Villarreal on Saturday.

With Pepe a doubt through injury, as per AS, Varane looks set to line up alongside Sergio Ramos for the third consecutive match. But while Madrid were relatively comfortable in their victories over Deportivo La Coruna and Elche, Villarreal are likely to provide a much stiffer test.

The Yellow Submarine have made a solid start to the new season. They came painstakingly close to holding Barcelona to a draw in the second week of the campaign and scored four times in victory over Rayo Vallecano in their most recent match on home soil. They have held Madrid to a draw at El Madrigal in each of the last two seasons.

After solid performances against Deportivo and Elche, Saturday’s match therefore presents Varane with a chance to show that he can hold his own against one of La Liga’s better sides.

He is certainly capable. Despite his tender age, Varane is already a regular with the French national team, having formed a physically imposing partnership with Liverpool centre-back Mamadou Sakho.

The 21-year-old was very impressive in France’s recent 1-0 friendly win over Spain. He showed good strength up against the physical Diego Costa, matching the Chelsea man stride-for-stride and largely negating his influence on the match.

Varane also drew plaudits for his performances in his first couple of years in Madrid. Jose Mourinho showed great faith in the young centre-back—who was just 18 when he signed from Lens in 2011—and the Lille native responded with a string of solid displays

Tall, strong and quick, he looked the perfect modern-day centre-back.

His progress was, however, tempered by the recurring knee problems he suffered last season. Varane was unable to take to the pitch until mid-September and was also out of action between mid-November and the start of February.

When he did appear he was off the pace and a little tentative—a million miles away from his commanding performances in his earlier matches for the club. Pepe and Ramos formed a strong partnership during the final stretch of the season, and Varane was unable to force his way into the team.

Per Nicholas Rigg of The Independent, Varane was heavily linked with a move to Chelsea over the summer. Mourinho remains a keen admirer and was thought to have targeted him as a long-term replacement for John Terry at the heart of the Blues defence.

But Varane ended speculation over his future by signing a contract extension through to 2020.

"This contract shows the confidence the club has in me and I want to continue growing," he told Madrid’s official website upon signing his new deal. "I have progressed a lot since I came here as an 18-year-old but I want to keep growing with this great club."

Varane began the new season with an unsure performance in the second leg of Madrid’s Spanish Super Cup defeat to Atletico Madrid. He was a step behind the play on the Atletico goal, scored by Mario Mandzukic, and looked rattled whenever he was called upon to compete in the air.

He was, though, far more assured in the wins over Deportivo and Elche. He looked fit and confident, and there were signs that he and Ramos are starting to form a good understanding. Improvement will only come with increased minutes.

Pepe and Ramos performed poorly in the league defeats to Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid, and there is certainly an opportunity for Varane to nail down a regular starting place if he can demonstrate to Ancelotti that he is ready for the challenge.

Varane is undoubtedly the future of the Real Madrid defence. Saturday’s match against Villarreal will provide him with a chance to show that he can also be the present.

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