In a week where Real Madrid’s season both in the Champions League and LaLiga could be decided, they lose the other half of their starting center-back duo in Raphael Varane.
The club released an announcement stating that Varane tested positive for COVID-19 and thus was ruled out for the games against Liverpool and Barcelona.
Real Madrid were already without Sergio Ramos and now are set to face their most important games of the season without Varane.
According to Marca, Varane is already isolating at his home. But given the amount of time required, he is also likely going to miss the second leg against Liverpool at Anfield.
Real Madrid now forced to feature a makeshift backline.
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Without both Varane and Ramos, manager Zinedine Zidane will be forced to improvise. What this means is that the likes of Nacho and Eder Militao will be counted on to take over. The latter has rarely featured for Madrid this season.
Zidane did switch formation in Madrid’s last game against Eibar where he went with a three-man defense. He could do the same again and pack the midfield to serve as cover for the defense. Left-back Ferland Mendy would likely be the one joining Nacho and Militao should Zidane go this route.
The absence of Varane could not have come at a worse time for Zidane. Madrid’s season is arguably on the line in the next week or so and they are going to be without their first-choice defenders.
Even when both were healthy, Madrid were not exactly lighting the world on fire. They were getting by in LaLiga and Champions League thanks to individual players stepping up at key moments.
Varane is now the sixth player in the squad to have tested positive following Militao, Casemiro, Nacho and Luka Jovic.