Real Madrid see 23-year-old star as a ‘phenomenon’, have plans in place to deal with his injury
After Real Madrid’s 2-1 triumph in El Clasico against Barcelona, manager Carlo Ancelotti received some bad news: key midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni had suffered a foot fracture, sidelining him for two months.
After Real Madrid’s 2-1 triumph in El Clasico against Barcelona, manager Carlo Ancelotti received some bad news: key midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni had suffered a foot fracture, sidelining him for two months.
After a mixed debut campaign in Spain, during which he struggled in the second half of the season, Tchouameni has featured much more prominently this time out.
Indeed, this season, the 23-year-old French midfielder played for 1,020 minutes, making him Real Madrid’s fourth most-utilized player on the field. Ancelotti’s men never lost a match this season when Tchouameni played.
The Athletic’s Guillermo Rai has come up with a report that highlights the importance that Real Madrid give to Tchouameni in the team.
Tchouameni has been a key player, fitting in perfectly with Ancelotti’s 4-4-2 formation. He holds the midfield together, giving the other midfielders the chance to roam freely.
This has helped him to cement his place at the Santiago Bernabeu since joining from Monaco in the summer of 2022.
“He is one of the phenomena in the squad,” a senior Real Madrid source told The Athletic. “We have not considered selling him despite Premier League interest this summer.”
Indeed, there had been reports of interest from the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal, who were looking for reinforcements in midfield.
Both clubs continue to monitor the French international heading into 2024, but Los Blancos have no plans to sell him.
As such, given how important Tchouameni is, his absence through injury comes as a major blow for Ancelotti and Real Madrid.
But the Merengues already have plans in place to cope with his absence over the next couple of months or so.
According to sources from Madrid’s coaching staff, Eduardo Camavinga and Kroos are both prepared to fill Tchouameni’s role in central midfield.
Ancelotti will determine which player to use based on the opponent, but it is understood that Kroos will feature more frequently than anticipated.