After being under for his subpar performances for the last several weeks, things went even worse for Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni as he suffered a left ankle sprain in the game against AC Milan.
With this physical problem, the is expected to remain out of action for around one month. Despite his recent poor performances, the Frenchman remains an integral part of Carlo Ancelotti’s schemes, and the Italian tactician will have some work on his hands to find the best way to replace him in his starting lineup for the game against Osasuna.
While it will be interesting to see how the Real Madrid coach manages this situation, there are three main options at his disposal for this purpose without radically changing his basic scheme:
Eduardo Camavinga:
It was Camavinga whom Ancelotti brought in Tchouameni’s place as the latter was replaced at half-time in the game against AC Milan, and he remains the most likely candidate to replace his compatriot, at least for the time till he makes his return to the field.
Camavinga has had a poor 2024-25 season up to now. He remained out for a significant period after suffering a knee sprain right before playing the first game of this season, the UEFA Super Cup tie against Atalanta.
He has returned to action for some time now but has not yet made himself a regular starter for Ancelotti. His absence from the starting eleven against AC Milan was particularly notable, as he was one of the bright spots for Real Madrid in their humiliating defeat to Barcelona.
Even after coming on at half-time in the last UCL game, Camavinga was able to impress by winning four of his seven duels, completing 32 of his 34 passes, and making four tackles.
His dynamism and speed will provide a different profile to the Real Madrid midfield than the one the Tchouameni offers, and his popularity among the fans will also help Ancelotti placate them to some degree.
Federico Valverde:
The Uruguayan emerged as another option for the midfield pivot position after the AC Milan game, not much because of his performance on the pitch, but after some of the comments made by his wife Mina Bonino on her X account.
The midfielder’s wife was clear that Valverde performs the best as a pivot, as she responded to some comments that were criticising Valverde for his performance in that game.
Although he played as a more advanced player against the Italians, the Uruguayan has played 12 games as a defensive midfielder this season, and there is definitely some merit in Bonino’s words about her husband’s best position.
Ancelotti also revealed after the AC Milan game that he was suffering from back problems, which led to his substitution at half-time. However, he is expected to be in the starting eleven once again on Saturday and hopefully will play in a more central position.
Luka Modric:
Despite being 39 years of age, the Croatian continues to be an important player for Carlo Ancelotti, and he has started 7 games for Real Madrid so far this season.
The latest of these starts came in the last game against AC Milan, in which he was far from his best, and was particularly criticised for not tracking back properly when the Italians scored their second goal.
In total, he has played 16 games this season, 10 times playing as a defensive midfielder. Thus, he can once again be used by Ancelotti in this position in Tchouameni’s absence. Although he will not provide as much physicality as the other options discussed, his creativity and experience can still turn out to be important for his team.
