Eduardo Camavinga continues to become more important for Real Madrid. The youngest member of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad has taken on different roles this season: as a No 6, a No 8 and a left-back. And he has performed exceptionally in all three.
After the World Cup, Camavinga has been given a new lease of life. The France international has earned his place in the starting eleven with his performances on the pitch. The injury that Aurélien Tchouaméni suffered in January gave the former Rennes man a starting role in the side. When he looked likely to return to the bench, Ferland Mendy’s absence opened the door for him at left-back, a position in which he impressed in the final minutes of the World Cup final.
Camavinga has doubled his game time with the first team. AS report that in the first 21 games of the season, he played 730 minutes; in the 17 games played since the World Cup, he has played a total of 1,268 minutes. Only Antonio Rüdiger (1,455 minutes), Vinícius (1,400) and Fede Valverde (1,341) have played more minutes since the World Cup. He has gone from starting 33% of matches (7 out of 21) to 76% (13 out of 17). In the Madrid derby, he was dropped from the starting eleven after 13 consecutive starts. It is likely that Ancelotti wanted to rest him after Anfield and ahead of tomorrow’s Copa del Rey semi-final with Barcelona.
Kieran Quaile | GSFN
