Marco Asensio still not ready for 90 minutes:
Asensio played 17 minutes and contributed to the 3-0 win over Valencia on Thursday. The Spaniard stepped onto the pitch for the first time in 11 months and his goal came after just 31 seconds as he found the net thanks to Ferland Mendy's cross.
However, he suffered a cruciate ligament rupture in a pre-season friendly in July 2019 and had been recovering from it since then. Zinedine Zidane may not want to throw in him in the fire by making the 24-year-old a starter just yet.
Gareth Bale's endless drop in form:
The Welshman hasn't scored in La Liga since September 1. This season, he has added just 2 goals to his overall tally. Even after given the chance, the 30-year-old doesn't look any more convincing – his average outing in the Eibar clash is just another solid proof.
Bale entered in the 60th-minute last Sunday and spent the final half an hour on the right-wing. However, the player was nowhere to be seen. Those 30 minutes were enough for him to suffer muscular pains after the game and he sat out the Valencia game as a result.
Lack of true right-wing options:
We have seen Rodrygo on the right-wing several times this season and it's safe to say that he still lacks consistency. Lucas Vazquez is currently on the sidelines and could return in early July, but it doesn't make much of a difference since he's rarely ever been in the starting XI this term.
In addition, Brahim Diaz has hardly received an opportunity for some playing time and it's crystal clear that the 21-year-old doesn't belong in Zizou's plans.
Failed Vinicius experiment:
Vinicius can play on both flanks but when deployed on the right, the Brazilian has proved that he is just not as good as he is on the left-wing. The season's remainder was expected to be problematic for Vinicius. It was said that Zinedine Zidane is not in favour of lining both Eden Hazard and Vini up.
So, the best solution to this would be to continue playing the 19-year-old on the left-wing and transfer the Belgian on the other side of the field.
❓ Will Hazard continue shining if he plays on the right-wing? Tell us in the comments or in our newly launched blogging platform.
