Real Madrid put in a great performance in the first leg of the Copa del Rey against Real Sociedad, winning 0-1 to put them one step closer to the final against Sevilla, with the second leg to be played in a month’s time at the Santiago Bernabéu. However, the bad news came from Dani Ceballos, who had to leave the match in the last few minutes with a heavy blow to the knee.
Ceballos to miss upcoming games
Dani Ceballos will miss around a month of competition, bad news for the Utrera-born player, especially since he is experiencing his best moment with the shirt of Real Madrid and, through hard work and patience, he had managed to earn a place in Ancelotti’s starting eleven.
David Ceballos has become an important part of Carlo Ancelotti‘s system, playing a key role in linking the defense and the attacking positions. His ability to defend – something he has improved in recent years – his quality and his vision of the game have earned him a place in the Real Madrid midfield. Pending confirmation of the length of his absence, Real Madrid have lost a key player in the center of the pitch, but the depth of the squad means that Carlo Ancelotti is calm ahead of the tough matches in the next part of the championship.
Carlo Ancelotti’s plan B
The recovery of the defensive players means that Tchouameni regains his natural position in the midfield, and Bellingham is an undisputed link with the forwards, as well as providing key physical capacity for decisive moments. In this sense, Acenlotti has two solutions to Ceballos’ absence.
One is to continue to bet on Fede Valverde in the midfield. With him, some quality with the ball and vision of the game is lost, but he wins in everything else (dedication, strength, defense, speed, sacrifice…). This would favor Lucas Vázquez, who would have to occupy the right wing.
The second solution is Luka Modric, the natural replacement for Ceballos. The Whites’ captain has shown that he is still able to run the midfield. The measured out distribution of minutes means that he can face this part of the season with the guarantees offered by a world-class player who has won everything. If Ancelotti goes for this option, Valverde would move to right-back, relegating Lucas Vázquez to the bench.
A loss that does not alter the balance
If Real Madrid has achieved anything in this part of the season, it is having balance in the squad. The players seem to have reached the final stretch in the best possible shape, and to that can be added the fact that they have been recovering from injuries. The pieces of the puzzle fit together, and the ones that have to be changed, as is the case now with Ceballos, also fit into the puzzle. Real Madrid face a schedule in which they play LaLiga and the quarter-finals of the Champions League against Atlético de Madrid.
The loss of Dani Ceballos is an unforeseen event for Real Madrid, and a hard blow for the player, who was going through his best moment in white, but Ancelotti has the tools and the squad to face this loss with all the guarantees. Whether he decides on Modric or Valverde, both solutions offer many guarantees, and it is to be expected that he will alternate them depending on the opponent or the moment of the game. In addition, players like Camavinga and Güler will also contribute in those midfield positions.