RMD starter at risk of losing position following undewhelming performances

Last season Carlo Ancelotti was praised for getting the best out of Ferland Mendy, with the French left-back earning a new contract off the back of a successful Champions League campaign. A ‘shutdown’ left-back, getting past Mendy proved an impossible feat for many of Europe’s top players.

That has not been the case in recent months, with the Frenchman looking much more vulnerable with the rest of his defence. On the other hand, alternative Fran Garcia has seen increased game time, and MD say there is a potential for him to usurp Mendy.

“In recent games he has played more and has shown a lot of quality. I liked him a lot. We must keep in mind that in this position we have another full-back with whom we have won two Champions Leagues. Mendy is a fantastic full-back and when we need to be more offensive Fran can play,” Ancelotti noted recently in a press conference.

Garcia has started Real Madrid’s last three Liga games without conceding a goal, and of the 20 goals Los Blancos have conceded this season, Garcia has only been on the pitch for three of them. That is in part due to the much fewer minutes he has played, but Garcia has played 690 minutes, earning 6 starts and 15 appearances out of 20 games.

Ancelotti’s response probably gives the key to his thinking. Whenever Los Blancos face big sides, it would be a surprise to see Garcia in a starting position. Mendy has been trusted by the Italian when all others at Real Madrid doubted him, and Garcia has been used sparingly over the last 18 months.