'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Midfield
Defensive midfield: Casemiro
Having a player like Casemiro is proving to be both a boon and a bane for Real Madrid. The Brazilian is the best defensive midfielder in the world at the moment and crucial to Madrid's game both while attacking and defending.
He has been so good for so many seasons that finding a capable replacement for him has become nigh impossible.
With the option of signing a new player out of the question, Zidane can only hope that the player who led Real Madrid in minutes and played for the entirety of the previous campaign does not pick up an injury mid-season. If he does so they are in trouble.
Though Fede Valverde could fill in for him, he is not so strong defensively and cannot produce a similar kind of display in a defensive midfielder's role. All of the remaining midfielders are more creative than Casemiro, and thus his role will be as important as it was in the previous season in the 2020-21 campaign.
Central midfield: Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos is often considered one of the best midfielders of his generation thanks to his exemplary vision and distribution. He was crucial to Real Madrid's buildup play last season and had the best passing stats in La Liga.
Zinedine Zidane is clearly very impressed by the German international and holds his work in high regard. Earlier this month he heaped praise on the midfield maestro, claiming that it is a privilege to work with the former Bayern Munich superstar. He said:
"Toni Kroos will be remembered as a spectacular player, one of the best in the world in his position. When I arrived, well, you can imagine, I was really happy to be his coach."
He is still at the peak of his powers and we can expect him to deliver top-notch performances for Real Madrid in the near term future as well.
Central midfield: Luka Modric
Like many of Real Madrid's players, Luka Modric had a rough 2018-19 season, but managed to put it in the rear-view window with a solid conclusion to his 2019-20 campaign, playing eight of the final 11 games as they marched towards the league title.
He was sometimes replaced with Fede Valverde in some of the unimportant fixtures, and this season, with the inclusion of Martin Ødegaard, we can expect the 35-year-old's playing time to get reduced even further.
The Croatian's contract was automatically extended till 2021 after his Ballon d'Or triumph in 2018 and though this might be his final season at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu he still has a lot to offer to Real Madrid.
Also See:
10 highest-paid players in La Liga this season
