Three options for Arbeloa to replace key Real Madrid midfielder vs Bayern Munich following suspension | OneFootball

Real Madrid lost 1-2 to Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday night at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Despite Kylian Mbappe’s best efforts, a brilliant showing by Manuel Neuer in the Bayern Munich goal meant that the Bavarians returned home with an advantage in the blockbuster tie.

On 15 April, Real Madrid will step onto the pitch at the Allianz Arena hoping to mount a comeback against the Bundesliga champions and progress to the semi-finals.

However, they will have to do so without key midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni as he will miss the second leg through suspension.

The Frenchman received a yellow card against Bayern on Tuesday – which was his third in the Champions League this season, which earned him an automatic one-match ban. As such, he will be unavailable for the match in Germany, which comes as a big blow for Real Madrid.

Faced with this situation, Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa has several options to replace him in midfield for the upcoming fixture against Die Roten.

Eduardo Camavinga

The logical option. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

One would think the most logical option to replace Tchouameni in the centre of the park for Real Madrid would be his compatriot Eduardo Camavinga.

The Frenchman is no stranger to playing as the pivot midfielder and has operated in that role 12 times this season (35 appearances), while he has played as a No. 8 on 11 occasions.

However, there is a concern that the 23-year-old midfielder lacks the tactical discipline needed for the holding midfield role. Moreover, his performance in the last La Liga game against RCD Mallorca was very disappointing.

Federico Valverde

The in-form pick. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

The next most obvious solution for Arbeloa will be to move Federico Valverde into the central midfield role from his current position on the right flank.

The Real Madrid second captain could partner Thiago Pitarch in the middle of the park, while Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler take up the wider positions in the second line of press.

However, the Uruguayan international has been one of Real Madrid’s most enterprising outlets in his current role, so there will be some trade-off with moving him back into a central position.

Dean Huijsen

The risky choice. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

A left-field choice perhaps, but Arbeloa could look for a novel approach and push Dean Huijsen into the holding midfield role from central defence.

While the 20-year-old Spaniard has never played in midfield in his career, he has the necessary qualities – strong ball progression, good distribution and the understanding to provide defensive support.

With Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger expected to partner up in central defence, this could be an avenue to not lose Huijsen from the lineup.

Alternatively, Militao could also be an option as a holding midfielder, with the Brazilian having played in the position on a few occasions in his career. It would keep Huijsen in his natural role at the heart of the Real Madrid defence.