One day before its 2025-26 La Liga campaign begins in earnest, Real Madrid is bracing for a long season spread across four competitions, and manager Xabi Alonso knows that squad rotation will become paramount in ensuring squad fitness down the line.
Last season, Real Madrid ran into a stark lack of healthy players to close out the year and was forced to play midfielders Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga along its back line. And although both Tchouameni and Camavinga slotted back to defense in a pinch, a desire for Real Madrid to add defenders became clear when players such as Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao suffered extended injuries.
This season, Alonso is looking to avoid having to piecemeal his lineup together and is prepared for the challenges that stand ahead with the addition of some support at right back.
How will Real Madrid balance playing time for Alexander-Arnold and Carvajal?
"I know that competition is fantastic, and I love having two players who can play in every position, guys who want to show why they deserve their place,” Alonso told the media earlier today. “Then it's down to me to make the choice. Sometimes, I'll have to share out the minutes, but I think there are lots of positions that are very well stocked. We've got two guys at right-back: Carva, who is really back at it now, he's getting back to his best, and Trent, who's come from Liverpool and is fantastic for the quality in the squad. We have loads of games coming up, and that's the level we need."
As Alonso alluded to, new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold is poised to enjoy his first season in Madrid after admiring the club from afar for quite some time. Alexander-Arnold helped Liverpool realize its Premier League Championship aspirations a season ago, and his creative, bending crosses from the right wing look to be a staple of Los Blancos offensive tactic this season.
“...when we attack, the defensive line has to push up,” Alonso said. “We want to work as a team. Everyone needs to be involved and really understand what's required in every move. That will help us make sure the distances between the lines are better, both in defense and attack.”
With that mindset, Alexander-Arnold seems to fit well into Alonso’s desired strategy. Last season, Jeremie Frimpong occupied a similar wingback role for Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, though Trent offers less straight-line speed and a more deft crossing ability to help unlock the defense. Both players, however, represent an attacking-minded quality present from a traditionally defensive position, and it also displays a clear desire from Alonso to shape the game to his players’ strengths.
Last season, Alexander-Arnold registered four goals and seven assists (all competitions) for Liverpool, but the 26-year old England international has surpassed the 10-assist mark on multiple occasions during his Premier League tenure.
Carvajal, on the other hand, offers a speedier, more defensively tenacious role from the right side as he hopes to rebound from an 11-appearance campaign a year ago. Before that, Carvajal helped push Real Madrid to yet another Champions League trophy for the Spanish side during the 2023-24 season.
Real Madrid will begin its La Liga season at the Bernabeu tomorrow as Carvajal, Alexander-Arnold and the rest of Alonso's squad hosts Osasuna.
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