Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior recently suffered a hamstring injury, meaning he will miss the next several weeks, including potentially the vital “El Derbi” fixture against crosstown rivals Atlético Madrid.
Vini Jr. is arguably the biggest star in LaLiga and one of the most electrifying players in world football. No player was more important to Los Merengues in the 2022/23 season than Vinícius, so his loss is definitely a tough blow.
However, after acquiring Jude Bellingham in the summer transfer window, Real Madrid have signed another superstar player capable of stepping up to take on responsibility in the attack. He gives Madrid a better chance of weathering the storm without Vini Jr.
The injury to Vinícius Júnior likely makes a 4-3-3 approach more feasible than the experimental formation Carlo Ancelotti has utilized with Vini and Rodrygo Goes up top in front of Bellingham in the 10 role. So let’s take a look at how Real could line up without the Brazilian left winger.
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Defense
GK Kepa Arrizabalaga
LB Fran García
CB David Alaba
CB Antonio Rüdiger
RB Dani Carvajal
Let’s just breeze through the defense, because this is clearly the best four available in light of the ACL tears to star players Thibaut Courtois and Éder Militão. Andriy Lunin should get some matches, but Kepa Arrizabalaga is the better option based on his experience. Real Madrid must prioritize winning, and Lunin still makes too many positional errors.
Midfield
DM Toni Kroos
DM Aurélien Tchouaméni
AM Jude Bellingham
Here’s where things get interesting. The midfield shape shifts with the change back to the 4-3-3, but instead of using the traditional trio with one defensive midfielder anchoring two wider midfielders, maintaining the 10 role for Jude Bellingham should be the priority.
Bellingham is an excellent No. 8, but he can make so much more of an impact on the game in an attacking midfield role, getting him closer to goal with the freedom to drift wide in either direction and facilitate chance-creation via combination play. A true game-changer in this position, Jude’s spot in the formation should remain in order to continue to maximize his impact on the game in the attacking third.
Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić are taking more of a backseat this season to help the younger players get more minutes, and he and Eduardo Camavinga should share minutes. However, these are special circumstances, and Kroos fits better in a double-pivot due to his ability to read the game and pick out passes from deep for the forwards. Kroos is still one of the very best midfielders in the world.
Forwards
LW Rodrygo Goes
ST Joselu
RW Fede Valverde
Signing Joselu was a necessity after Karim Benzema’s departure, and for the inexpensive cost of a loan deal with an option to buy for a mere 1.5 million euros, there wasn’t a more affordable option at the Real Madrid level. Joselu returns to Madrid after being one of the best strikers in LaLiga for Espanyol last season.
But the 4-3-3 switch doesn’t just help Joselu get onto the pitch as a striker, where he is also quite good at setting up others for goals (as he did on Friday for Bellingham in the 1-0 win over Celta Vigo).
The main benefit is being able to get Rodrygo Goes back in the left wing position, which was regularly occupied by Vinícius Júnior when Real Madrid primarily used the 4-3-3. Rodrygo is unstoppable in this role when dribbling at defenders, and he has so much more confidence finishing when cutting inside onto his right foot. Finishing remains a weakness for the up-and-coming Brazilian standout.
While Rodrygo is busy going for goal, Fede Valverde will be doing all the other things necessary to provide width and work rate on the right-hand side. You can always count on him to help out defensively, but with Dani Carvajal becoming more of a defensive specialist at right back in his later years, we should see more attacking freedom and impetus from the talented Uruguayan.
