Real Madrid has voiced anxiety about the demanding schedule that awaits them after the international break, fearing the physical toll it would have on its players.
The trip to Granada on Sunday will be the first of seven games in four weeks for Los Blancos, with everything on the line in LaLiga Santander, where they are now second, and the Champions League, where they are top of the group but have little room for mistake.
A season-defining run of games with little time to rest in between, involving massive matches with Sevilla, Real Sociedad, Atletico Madrid, and Inter.
“Due to the catastrophic schedule, we’ll be quite a damaged squad,” a Real Madrid insider claimed.
It’s certainly a difficult time of year for Real Madrid, and things may get much worse if LaLiga decides to reschedule their postponed match against Athletic Club on December 1 – in between games against Sevilla and La Real – which is unlikely but not impossible.
Carlo Ancelotti and his staff are gearing up for a hectic month ahead, and they’ve been taking advantage of the international break to prepare ahead, since there won’t be much time to ponder after the players return until the Christmas break.
Pintus’ turning point
It’s fitness coach Antonio Pintus’ moment to shine in this term, with monitoring players’ conditioning being particularly important.
In the next weeks, the emphasis of practices will be on rehabilitation for the next game and avoiding injuries, since any little setback might result in a player missing numerous games.
Real Madrid is currently without five players due to injuries. Dani Ceballos is out for the time being, and Gareth Bale has been hurt again again, but the priority for Ancelotti will be to get Fede Valverde, Rodrygo Goes, and Mariano Diaz back in contention as soon as as, giving him 23 men to choose from for the seven or eight games in four weeks.
The Champions League takes precedence.
Real Madrid leads Atletico Madrid by four points, although they are tied with Sevilla and one point behind La Real at the top of LaLiga Santander. However, the Champions League is the top objective in the immediate term since there is much less space for mistake.
A victory against Sheriff in their next European match would guarantee them a spot in the last 16, relieving some of the burden on Inter in the final.
Source Marca