Squad-Building Issues Leave Real Madrid Vulnerable to International Injuries

Real Madrid have more reason than most to be concerned going into the international break. Per AS, 17 members of their first-team squad have joined up with their respective countries this week, and injuries to certain players could prove costly to the club’s chances of silverware.

It is obvious to say that Madrid would be weakened by the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, just as Barcelona would if Lionel Messi were to pick up an injury. Those players are irreplaceable.

Yet it would also be fair to say that there are clear deficiencies in other areas of the Madrid squad that would also result in a downturn in performances if key protagonists were to go down injured.

Karim Benzema is one such player. Even when he isn’t scoring, he still fulfils a key role as a facilitator for his fellow forwards. His clever movement into the channels and off the front helps create space for Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.

“He has a fantastic strike, but we also have to appreciate the way he helps the team’s play,” Carlo Ancelotti said following Benzema’s double in the victory over Real Sociedad in late January.

“He isn’t just a striker who plays in the box, he is very good in every area and has a lot of quality.”

The Frenchman’s assist and general performance in the first half of the recent Clasico defeat to Barcelona was typical of his displays this season.

However, Madrid do not currently have another player capable of replicating what Benzema brings to the side. The only other outright centre-forward in the squad is Javier Hernandez. He is a goal-poacher supreme but isn’t anywhere near as effective at linking with his team-mates.

If Benzema was to pick up an injury on international duty—with L’Equipe (h/t @malisiakb) suggesting he could captain the side against Brazil on Thursday—the whole dynamic of Madrid’s play would change considerably.

The effect of the absence of Luka Modric has already been felt this season. The midfield schemer went down with a thigh injury during Croatia’s draw away to Italy in October and only returned to the Madrid starting XI in the win over Levante on March 15.

The 29-year-old is a relatively unique player, combining his excellent technical skills and passing range with good energy, work rate and an ever-improving awareness of his defensive responsibilities.

And Madrid have been much more fluid in their play in the two matches since his return to the side.

“It was great to have Modric back, Benzema told Pablo Polo of Marca in the wake of the Clasico. “He always plays on the attack and that’s why he’s so important to us. We’ve missed him.”

Like Benzema, however, there is no direct replacement for Modric in the current Madrid squad.

There is certainly not a shortage of midfielders. Asier Illarramendi, James Rodriguez, Isco, Lucas Silva, Toni Kroos and Sami Khedira join Modric in a group well-populated with centre-pitch dwellers. Yet none of them are as swift and decisive in possession as the Croatian.

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Dani Carvajal is another player Madrid will hope can avoid injury over the international break. The 23-year-old shared right-back duties with Alvaro Arbeloa last season, but he has made the position his own during the current campaign, starting 21 times in La Liga, per Soccerway.

The Leganes native is a more proactive defender than the former Liverpool man (averaging just over one tackle and just under one interception more per 90 minutes, per Whoscored.com) and also provides more of a threat in the final third.

Madrid lose one of their attacking outlets when Arbeloa starts in his place.

Carvajal will be joined in the training sessions of the Spain national team by former Madrid colleague Alvaro Morata, now of Juventus. In an interview with Onda Cero (h/t Marca) earlier this week, the striker noted that it will be difficult for his fellow youth-team graduate Jese Rodriguez to get regular playing time at the Bernabeu.

“It’s tough competing with the BBC,” he explained. “Jese can do well, but if there’s a forward shining abroad, Real Madrid will want to sign him.”

That second sentence sums up the club’s transfer strategy, particularly under the leadership of Florentino Perez. Star names and marketing opportunities usually take precedence over a structured recruitment plan.

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While Ancelotti has done a good balancing act thus far, success would be more easily attained if greater thought was put into building a coherent first-team group.

Constructing the perfect squad is not an easy task; it is a fine balancing act between variety and positional coverage. But given the money Madrid have spent on accumulating the players in their current group, it should be better rounded than it is.

It is not a case of needing a direct replacement of the exact same quality for each position, more that without players with similar attributes, the whole dynamic of the team changes whenever one of the aforementioned players is unavailable.

As Ancelotti seems unwilling to dip into the Castilla group in search of options in times of need, those positions have to be filled by senior professionals.

There are hopeful signs for next season. Casemiro is set to return from his loan spell at FC Porto and will provide a strong and assured presence at the base of the midfield, which should allow Kroos to step forward more confidently to provide a creative outlet if Modric, Isco or Rodriguez are unavailable.

AS reports that the arrival of Casemiro’s compatriot and current team-mate Danilo is also close to being completed. The 23-year-old will provide competition for Carvajal at right-back.

An all-round striker to cover Benzema and a replacement for Fabio Coentrao—who seems to be out of favour—as a back-up left-back would give the squad a much more rounded feel.

But over the next week there are sure to be plenty of crossed fingers and clutched rosaries inside the walls of Valdebebas. If Madrid escape the international break without any of their players having picked up injuries, their chances of securing silverware will be greatly increased.