Defense drama

Zidane has a puzzle to play against Getafe at the Coliseum (Sunday, 9:00 pm), because Madrid's defense is fully in the frame. The French has up to four casualties: Carvajal, Ramos, Varane and Nacho. The first hurries his recovery, the captain has a double reason for absence (muscle injury and coronavirus), the Frenchman is still isolated by COVID and Nacho is sanctioned. To these absences must be added those of Lucas Vázquez (whom he has used as a winger almost the entire season) and that of Casemiro (low due to accumulation of cards), the emergency center.

Therefore, the coach only has four pure defenders from the first team: Odriozola, Militao, Mendy and Marcelo. Of the four, two are left backs, another is the field player least used by Zidane (Odriozola) and the only one who is a starting theoretical (Mendy) should play, probably, out of his position (he would go as central so that Marcelo occupies the side). A drama. The other option the coach has is to have Víctor Chust, the captain of Castilla, in the center of the defense alongside Militao (he was already a starter against Alcoyano in the Copa del Rey).

In spite of everything, Zidane is optimistic about the high morale in which the team arrives after eliminating Liverpool and winning Barcelona. He has done it plagued with casualties and with footballers like Militao who have stepped forward when they were most needed. Now, the coach hopes that others like Odriozola or Marcelo will join in that good dynamic because in this final stretch he must use the entire squad if he wants to reach the end of the course with options to win the League and the Champions League.

In the center of the field, Zizou must also include news for the loss of Casemiro. The positive is that Fede Valverde exercised normally and arrives on time. The solution that the technician plans is to include four midfielders, with Kroos and Modric in the engine room and Valverde and Isco thrown on the wings.

Above, Benzema is non-negotiable and in case he changes to 4-4-2 the other place would be disputed between Asensio and Vinicius, who have been regular starters in this good run of results and come in very good shape.