Real Madrid midfielder breaks silence on being used in makeshift role | OneFootball

Over the last week, there was a lot of noise and speculation surrounding Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde after he did not play a single minute in the UEFA Champions League clash vs Kairat Almaty.

It was speculated that the Uruguayan’s benching was a result of him refusing to play at right-back, despite Real Madrid being without both Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold for the game.

Both the player and manager Xabi Alonso came out and cleared the air about the situation, stating that his rest had been agreed upon previously. Despite that, rumours of possible tension persisted.

Then came Saturday, when Valverde started as a right-back against Villarreal, in a move that put all doubts and chatter to rest for good.

Valverde opens up on playing at his right-back

Having been exempted from national team duty by Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa in the current break, Valverde has stayed in Madrid and has been training at Valdebebas.

And earlier today, he was asked by the media about his experience of playing as a right-back against Villarreal when he had stopped his car to give autographs to fans.

Responding to the query, the Real Madrid midfielder stated: “I really enjoyed playing as a full-back.”

Valverde has previously gone on record to express his reluctance at playing in the position. But not once has the Real Madrid ace refused to do the job when needed.

He excelled in the makeshift role at times in big games last season and performed well against Villarreal on Saturday as well.

However, the good news is that Real Madrid expect Trent to be back after the international break, meaning Valverde will not be forced to play in the makeshift role.