Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has this week moved to reiterate the importance of one member of his midfield ranks to the club’s success.
The player in question? Federico Valverde.
Midfielder Valverde has for his part of course continued to play a starring role for Real Madrid across the season to date.
All told, the Uruguayan has featured from the off in each and every one of Los Blancos’ 16 fixtures in all competitions.
And, save for a costly recent mistake against Athletic Club, Valverde has continued to act as one of Carlo Ancelotti’s most consistent performers, excelling on both sides of the ball.
Amid a hectic recent run of fixtures, the subject of potentially affording a rest to his engine room ever-present was, in turn, this week put to boss Ancelotti.
As much comes ahead of Real’s Champions League showdown with high-flying Atalanta on Tuesday night.
The Italian tactician, however, went on to admit that he simply cannot afford as much at present, owing to the personnel crisis in his squad:
“We can’t rotate Fede Valverde, he is a crucial player for us. I can think of resting players only when you don’t have injured players. We have had many of them.”
⚪️🇺🇾 Ancelotti: “We can’t rotate Fede Valverde, he is crucial player for us”.
“I can think of resting players only when you don't have injured players. We have had many of them”. pic.twitter.com/n6wQWhgk7D
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 9, 2024
Conor Laird – GSFN