- The winger's playing time was slashed under Julen Lopetegui compared to Zidane's times
Lucas Vazquez’s minutes on the field have reduced dramatically under Julen Lopetegui, writes J. L. Calderon for Marca.
It seems that the new Real Madrid boss has yet to gain confidence in the right winger. Vazquez has barely played 100 minutes in Los Blancos' seven official matches this season. Under Zidane, he was a key part of a so-called Plan B, while under Lopetegui he barely makes the squad.
This seems somewhat strange, as Lopetegui had relied on Vazquez during his stint with the Spanish national team.
There is a striking difference between him and the likes of Dani Ceballos and Marco Asensio who are both enjoying more minutes. It could even be said that Ceballos has taken his role in the squad, while Asensio is almost untouchable as a part of attacking trident with Bale and Benzema.
Meanwhile, Vinicius start for the first team is only a matter of time, as Real Madrid don't want him to play for Castilla anymore. In order for him to get playing minutes, someone has to be 'sacrificed' and Vazquez looks like most probable 'victim'.
