Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has said that Jesus Vallejo will come into his thinking in the latter stages of the 2024-25 campaign due to the club's severe defensive problems.
Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal have been joined on the sidelines by David Alaba, Antonio Rudiger and Ferland Mendy, with five first-team defenders therefore unavailable in the latter stages of the season.
Raul Asencio and Aurelien Tchouameni are expected to feature as the two centre-backs in the closing stages of the campaign, but Vallejo is in the squad for Sunday's La Liga clash with Celta Vigo at Bernabeu.
The 28-year-old is out of contract at Bernabeu this summer and is set to leave on a free transfer.
Vallejo has only played 10 minutes of first-team football this term, with his only outing coming against Alaves in La Liga back in September, but Ancelotti has said that there could be a chance for the centre-back in the final stages of the season.
"He has a better chance," Ancelotti told reporters when questioned on the defender during Saturday's press conference.
© Imago
Ancelotti hints at Vallejo involvement
Vallejo made the move to Real Madrid from Real Zaragoza in 2015, but he has only made 32 appearances for the club.
The defender's most productive campaign in terms of appearances for the capital side came in 2017-18, when he played 12 times in all competitions, but he has featured just twice in La Liga since the 2021-22 season finished.
Vallejo played three times for Granada during a loan spell last term before returning to Bernabeu, but he has not been in the thinking of Ancelotti due to the options that had been at the Italian's disposal.
© Imago
Ancelotti delighted with Guler progress
Ancelotti was also asked about Arda Guler on Saturday, with the Turkey international expected to be handed opportunities in the latter stages of the campaign with a view to being a more regular starter next term.
"He's made good progress, he'll have a bigger role to play in the future. He's showing his quality, consistency in his game, he can play in the centre of the park... I think he's going to be a fantastic central midfielder, not just a winger, because he has a great understanding of the game and sets the pace well," said Ancelotti.
"He'll be a very important player for Real Madrid in the future because there aren't many players around with his kind of profile."
Guler has made 37 appearances for Los Blancos during the 2024-25 campaign, scoring four goals and registering eight assists, including two goals and four assists in 23 La Liga outings.
Matt Law
