Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti Must Prioritise Squad Rotation in La Liga

It's a reflection of how excellent Carlo Ancelotti's management has been at Real Madrid this season that the only questions directed at the Italian lined with a hint of criticism have centred on the issue of squad rotation. 

His team has been dominant in La Liga. His players stormed through the group phase of the Champions League. And two titles have already been captured this season in the form of the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup. 

It's been impressive. Extremely. 

But the issue of squad rotation has also continued to linger ever since Toni Kroos uttered the words, "I'm starting to get tired," after a meeting with Basel back in November, per El Pais (h/t Inside Spanish Football).

The German was referring to his arduous schedule in 2014 that had seen him play, in his words, "the entire second half of the season with Bayern, then I played the entire World Cup, then I played in the Super Cups with Real Madrid and now I'm not missing a single match."

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It's why it was interesting when Ancelotti, who was again quizzed on his plans for squad rotation in the lead-up to Sunday's clash with Getafe, refuted suggestions of fatigue and insisted rotations weren't necessary. 

"There is no need right now to do rotations, I think the team are fine," he said at his pregame news conference, per Goal.com. "The team is doing well physically. There are some players who must get better though. Although Cristiano Ronaldo and Toni Kroos have played more than anyone, because they are important, they are fine physically."

Ancelotti, of course, is best placed to evaluate the state of his squad. But if Kroos was beginning to feel the strain two months ago, it's hard to think he'd be feeling any fresher now after playing in 12 of Real Madrid's 13 games since (including the friendly against AC Milan).

Indeed, since his notable remark, the 25-year-old has competed in four competitions, travelled to three different continents and has played 971 of the 1,170 possible minutes—a heavy workload for a player who candidly admitted his tank was anything but full. 

He's not the only one, either. 

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After sitting out against Real Sociedad back in August, Cristiano Ronaldo has played in 27 of Real's 29 games since, only missing the Copa del Rey meetings with Cornella. For the Ballon d'Or winner, it's meant a total of 2,294 minutes from a possible 2,610. 

In recent months it's been much the same for Isco, who's played 14 of the team's 15 games since Luka Modric went down with injury in November and has completed all but 24 minutes in those 14 matches. And the workloads of James Rodriguez, Karim Benzema and Marcelo have been equally taxing, too.

As such, there's been a laboured feeling to a number of Los Blancos' recent performances, most notably in the Copa del Rey exit at the hands of a ferocious Atletico Madrid outfit (Modric's absence, as explained in detail here, is also having an effect on the team's sharpness).

Consequently, the unwavering confidence and authority that surrounded this Real Madrid side in late 2014 has wobbled ever so slightly. Suddenly there's a faint sense—not anything more than that yet—that this season could end in underachievement if the full extent of the squad's depth isn't sufficiently used. 

When Ancelotti's men stormed past Barcelona back in October, it felt like an ominous warning for their rivals all over Europe. But amid a small lapse in form, other sides will have taken confidence from watching the way Atletico took down their crosstown rivals, who, after taking part in more competitions than any other team this season, look in need of some freshening up. 

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And the thing is: Ancelotti has the depth of talent to do so—particularly in La Liga, where the capital club can coast against many of the Primera Division's smaller sides.

Waiting for a chance behind Ronaldo and Gareth Bale is Jese (zero league starts), who took Spain by storm this time last year. Backing up Benzema is the capable—not excellent—Javier Hernandez (one league start), who showed a knack for scoring important goals during his time at Old Trafford. 

In midfield, both Asier Illarramendi and Sami Khedira (three and zero league starts, respectively) are high-quality options, even if the German isn't a perfect fit for Ancelotti's preferred system. 

And at the back, the European champions are blessed with options, with Raphael Varane (six league starts), Nacho (two league starts), Alvaro Arbeloa (four league starts) and Fabio Coentrao (two league starts) all players who would fit seamlessly into most other XIs around the continent. 

Back in November after a sub-optimal display against Malaga, it was suggested by this writer that squad rotation was necessary—that "fatigue stands as possibly the club's most significant obstacle in what could be a truly historic campaign."

That was more than seven weeks ago, and little has changed.

Protecting the vitality of this Real Madrid squad through subtle and regular rotations should now be a priority. 

Follow @TimDCollins