When Real Madrid began to suffer their current injury crisis, they needed some players from their youth academy to take the step up and thrive in their new surroundings.
One player who has done just that is Raúl Asencio, who has now made four appearances for Real Madrid as a centre-back, with three of those seeing him play the full 90 minutes.
Carlo Ancelotti now sees the 21-year-old as a fully-fledged member of the Real Madrid first team, after he has described his four games so far as a ‘trial by fire’, one he has seemingly passed.
As per Mundo Deportivo, Ancelotti said, ‘He is a reliable centre-back. He knows his position, he is confident, well positioned, motivated and he has no fear.’
‘He has already passed his trial by fire. He can be considered a first-team player with all the merits that come with it because he deserves it.’
The inclusion of Asencio in recent weeks has portrayed a shift in mentality in the Spanish capital, where the club is now willing to put faith in their young academy graduates.
At the same time, some may argue that Ancelotti has had no other choice but to put some trust in his young players, and the true reflection will only come once the transfer window has come and gone.
