Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has two major decisions to make ahead of the new season, the first being how to fit Kylian Mbappe into his attacking plans, and who should lose their place as a result. Less has been said about replacing Toni Kroos.
It would be a major surprise if Ancelotti simply rejigged the line-up to have Mbappe instead of Kroos. Part of the reason there has been less talk is that most assume Eduardo Camavinga, Fede Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni will likely take on most of those duties, but much less has been mentioned about Luka Modric potentially returning to the line-up.
Albeit with significant absences, Modric played plenty in preseason, and Ancelotti told Diario AS that he could be an option deeper in midfield.
“Today he was a central pivot. He can also be a pivot on the left like Toni was. He has a lot of quality at bringing the ball out, and helps the team a lot because he manages timing very well, he has a lot of experience… He is a fantastic player.”
He was also asked if Modric might be used there to accommodate Tchouameni covering at centre-back more often.
“No no. The centre-backs are Rüdiger and Militao. As long as they are fit, they are going to play. Tchouameni has different characteristics compared to Modric, obviously, but Tchouameni is also a great pivot,” Ancelotti nuanced.
Certainly the use of Modric deeper is one to keep an eye on. Valverde, Tchouameni and Camavinga have all performed well as deeper midfielders, but none have the smoothness at bringing out the ball as Kroos nor Modric. Ancelotti may solve this by being a bit more direct in general, but if Modric is not on the pitch, other sides might be tempted to press a little higher, even if the alternatives are hardly weak under pressure.
