Zidane is going to encounter a blessed problem on his return to competition: will have everyone available except for Jovic. The striker is the only injured, although in his demarcation Zizou he usually only lines up one footballer and has two available for the position (Benzema, the undisputed starter, and Mariano). Therefore, making the eleven will be a headache.
This is a novelty for the French coach this year, since few have gotten rid of the infirmary. Only five of the 25 of the first squad have always been ready: Areola, Militao, Varane, Casemiro and Vinicius. When they didn't play it was by technical decision, but physically they were always fit. Carvajal stayed close to entering that group, although an inopportune flu made him miss the last game before the break, the defeat against Betis at Villamarín.
The injury problem started very early: Brahim was the first to drop in the preseason. He was soon joined by the most serious ailment: Marco Asensio's knee injury. That upset all Zidane's plans, because the Balearic was fixed in his schemes. He went through the operating room and, a priori, he was going to miss almost the entire course. But coronavirus has changed the landscape for him …
Although with the five changes, the calls of 23 and the matches every three or four days, Zidane will use everyone, his first line-ups are going to be a puzzle. Without previous friendlies, he has to use the matches to pick up the pace of the competition. That is why the alignment of the first day, against Eibar at Di Stéfano (Sunday 14, 7:30 p.m.) will be very significant. And the following week Valencia arrives and visits Real Sociedad. In those three games he will make rotations, although it is difficult for them to be extreme, due to the importance and because the players that he considers essential must begin to pick up the pace of the games.
With the goal (Courtois), the right back (Carvajal) and the centrals (Varane and Ramos) fully defined, the first problem for Zidane when the big days come comes on the left side: Mendy and Marcelo have been alternating throughout the season. In midfield Casemiro is non-negotiable, but the other three (Valverde, Kroos and Modric) have been rotating and have even played together. Valverde's irruption has caused Modric and Kroos to stay on the bench on big days. Especially surprising was the substitution of the German against City in the Champions League. Neither is untouchable.
Upstairs Hazard and Asensio's returns tighten everything. Zidane can choose the model of four midfielders, with Isco as playmaker, or the 4-3-3. In all of them, heavy weight players would be left out. Benzema is non-negotiable and Hazard, if he's healthy, too. Therefore, there would be a position to be divided between Isco, James, Asensio, Bale, Lucas Vázquez, Vinicius, Rodrygo and Brahim. Everyone will have minutes, although everyone will want to have them on the days when the team plays the titles. Blessed problem for Zidane …