Asier Illarramendi Can Play Key Role in Real Madrid's Quest for the Treble

One of the cliches in sport is that winning cures all. "When you win, nothing hurts," NFL Hall of Famer Joe Namath famously once said.

It's a widely accepted concept, one that suggests the elation of triumph is an all-powerful commodity over all else. And so often, it is. But that perceived truism tends to be tied to an end-product rather than a process; it's specific to a quest conquered more than it is the journey.

Just ask Toni Kroos.

"I'm starting to get tired," the German said last week, per Inside Spanish Football. Kroos, remember, has experienced victory in 16 consecutive games for Real Madrid and is still in a calendar year that has seen him lift the Bundesliga trophy, the German Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the grandaddy of them all, the World Cup.

It's a staggering array of triumphs, but—contrary to Namath's famous line—Kroos' legs hurt. In the midst of a gruelling campaign, and in search of an historic treble (the journey is still going; nothing has been achieved yet in 2014-15), not even the unrelenting dominance of Real Madrid can spare the midfielder from the effects of fatigue.

"I haven't played so much in my whole life," he remarked. "I'll have to get used to it."

In a season that's shaping into a possibly monumental one for Real, fatigue might now be the club's most notable obstacle to negotiate.

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"The players who have featured less need to get a run out," manager Carlo Ancelotti said on Monday ahead of his team's Copa del Rey clash with Cornella (per the club's official website), despite refuting suggestions that his squad is tired.

"Pepe, [Sergio] Ramos, Marcelo, Cristiano Ronaldo, [Karim] Benzema and Kroos will be rested," the Italian added. "[Alvaro] Medran, [Sami] Khedira and [Asier Illarramendi] will start the game."

One can also expect the likes of Javier Hernandez, Jese, Nacho and Alvaro Arbeloa—others who are also short on playing time this season for a variety of reasons—to play against Cornella. But it's Illarramendi's return from injury and Ancelotti's insistence that the Spaniard will start that feels most significant for Los Blancos. 

Indeed, the former Real Sociedad star stands as the most obvious candidate to stymie any potential spread of burnout through Real Madrid's engine room, the midfield. Having made just two starts since the conclusion of the club's pre-season campaign in the United States in early August, the 24-year-old is the owner of a fresh set of legs that Kroos probably wishes he could purchase from him.

At this stage of the season, such players are rare in Europe. On the back of a World Cup, and in the midst of Champions League matches and European qualifiers, the toll of an arduous calendar year can be seen everywhere—particularly among the continent's elite.

Players with full tanks are scarce. And Illarramendi is one of them. 

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Of course, the natural holding midfielder can be expected to cover for Kroos' intermittent absences in the coming months, given that he's long been groomed for a deep role. 

Still, it's not just the German whose freshness can be aided by Illarramendi—Real Madrid's entire midfield, thanks to the versatility of those who populate it, can benefit from his presence. 

Indeed, it's games like Tuesday's clash with Cornella where the Basque midfielder can come in for any member of Los Blancos' central ensemble. Whether he replaces Kroos, James Rodriguez, Isco or Luka Modric (when fit again) is largely irrelevant.

Ancelotti knows that his attack-minded midfielders are all positionally fluid; they're all capable of moving further forward or side-to-side in the formation. Naturally, they're all playmakers.

Thus, Ancelotti can insert Illarramendi at the base of the midfield and trust that any combination ahead of him will prove incisive. 

This week's Copa del Rey outing is an opportunity to do so. The following clashes at home with Celta Vigo and Ludogorets are others, the second of which holds no consequences for the European champions having already secured top spot in Group B. 

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Certainly, that's not to say Illarramendi can't play a role in heavyweight meetings. He most definitely can.

But Ancelotti's management of his midfield's fatigue is now vitally important. His team could be on course for a season like Bayern Munich's in 2012-13, Barcelona's in 2008-09 or Manchester United's a decade before that.

How effectively he can prolong vitality in the likes of Kroos, Rodriguez, Isco and Modric could determine whether Los Blancos add themselves to that list. Sparing the legs of those stars in both cup matches and clashes with their inferior Liga rivals is now imperative.  

Illarramendi, so rarely used to this point, can help Ancelotti and Real Madrid do that. And he'll need to.

For unwavering excellence—the sort exhibited for several months by Ancelotti's preferred midfield—is so arduous to perpetually maintain. 

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