3 Real Madrid Players Who Are Fighting for Their Futures in 2015/16
When you are a top club like Real Madrid, your players are always under constant pressure. Not only from external sources, like the media and the supporters, but also internally.
Competition in most of Europe's elite squad is extremely high, with understudies to the first team doing everything they can to force their way into the side.
The case is a little different at the Santiago Bernabeu, for various reasons.
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One is that there are some players in the team who are untouchable. When Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo are fit to play, they will all do so, and it leaves no room for any other forwards to start.
So when Jese Rodriguez is fighting for his future, we also have to consider the limited opportunities he will have.
The striker is out to prove two things to Rafa Benitez.
Firstly, that he's the man to step in anywhere across the front line if there is an injury. He seems to be doing that at the moment, starting up front in the first game of the season, against Sporting Gijon, when Benzema was out of action.
And secondly, he needs to show that when he is picked, he can help Madrid see off their opponents.
He didn't do the greatest job of that against Sporting, struggling when receiving the ball with his back to goal, and he lasted less than an hour before he was hooked.
As a Madrid youth product, he could be a point of pride if he goes on to have an impressive career.
However, he will have to be switched on for the entire season, ready to step in at any moment.
If he can, perhaps his chances to play will grow and Benitez won't worry about trying to sign a new striker as back-up to Benzema.
The situation is different for Dani Carvajal, too.
He was first-choice right-back last season, but now he appears to have fallen behind new recruit Danilo in the pecking order.
The Brazilian, signed from Porto, played in the first two La Liga games of the season.
Carvajal is liked by the fans, as another symbol of La Fabrica, Madrid's youth system, and will get opportunities.
But he must prove day in, day out to the coach that he can better the work of Danilo, or he may end up being stuck as the second option for the right-back slot.
It's one of the only positions in the Madrid side where there is genuine competition, with many of the other slots almost guaranteed to go to the players who proved themselves in those roles last season.
Finally, and strangest of all, one player who is playing for his future is current first-choice goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
That's an odd position to be in, but because of the club's failed bid to sign David De Gea, Navas knows he isn't trusted as the No. 1.
However, thanks to the transfer window closing, he has six months to play out of his skin and convince Madrid that they don't need to bring in De Gea on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Unfortunately for Keylor, the politics of the situation may mean his efforts are futile, but until January at least, he has an opportunity, however slim, to change the minds that matter.
In the winter transfer window, De Gea will be eligible to sign a pre-contract deal with another club. Until then, Navas will be fighting for his life.
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