Real Madrid have been battling injuries all season, but arguably none have been felt as much as the absence of Dani Carvajal. Right-back has been a problem position all season since he went down with a cruciate ligament injury in October – until Fede Valverde started playing there.
The 33-year-old has been a stalwart at the back for Real Madrid, and when his agony on the pitch became evident, it also gave Carlo Ancelotti a major headache. For the most part veteran Lucas Vazquez has been filling in for Carvajal, something he has done well in past seasons, but on a week-to-week basis, Los Blancos were suffering for his presence in the backline.
Ancelotti has experimented with Raul Asencio at times, but for the most part, Real Madrid have been exploited by their rivals down that side. However Valverde’s use there, a temporary solution initially, has now been used on eight occasions this season, to great effect. His performances against Manchester City and then Atletico Madrid in the Champions League stood out.
According to Relevo, Valverde is becoming more and more comfortable at the position, and does not dislike it at all. Within the club they note that he can be the ‘best right-back in the world’ due to his characteristics, and he is becoming more and more convinced it might be the best role for him. Beforehand when he was used on the right side of midfield, Valverde did not enjoy his task as much, but he is warming to right-back.
For his part, Ancelotti intends to use him there in the big games for the rest of the season. It is certainly an interesting shift, especially when considering Real Madrid intend to sign Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold this coming summer. It might not be an issue to move Valverde back to midfield, but it could become an interesting debate – especially if the Uruguayan does become ‘the best right-back in the world.
