Rafa Benítez looks set to come down with a headache ahead of the ‘Clásico’, albeit of the proverbial type that all managers love to have. For the first time in yonks it appears that the Spanish tactician will have all his midfielders available for selection. This is unmistakably good news, but it will also require him to make a decision that could ruffle some feathers. Indeed, the way he is currently leaning could prove highly unpopular, especially if Real Madrid don’t come out on top against Barcelona.
Benítez’s gut instinct is telling him to go with Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric across the midfield and the BBC up front – six players he will be working with at Valdebebas for the next ten days. This would mean a substitute’s role for James Rodríguez, who will only arrive in Madrid from Colombia 48 hours before the big game.
The coach feels that the amount of travelling Rodríguez faces is a convincing reason to plump for the Brazilian instead in the starting line-up. The rationale is logical, but leaving out the Colombian would still be a sizeable risk and would likely incur the wrath of the fans.
