In what position and to what capacity to utilise Luka Modric in what is expected to be his final season at Real Madrid is a question Carlo Ancelotti has battled from the very beginning of the 2023-24 season.
After all, benching the Croatian international who, at 38 years of age, still boasts amazing quality, is far from simple.
In fact, the Italian tactician spoke about the respect he held for Modric earlier this season, stating that he would never ask him to warm up and not call on him.
According to reports from AS, one of Ancelotti’s big dilemmas ahead of the second-leg clash against RB Leipzig is over his personnel in midfield.
In specific, he is unsure whether to deploy the ever-reliable Toni Kroos in midfield or replace him with Modric on the night.
After all, the Croatian legend has been vital for Los Blancos despite his fringe role this season, and his match-winning goal against Sevilla serves as the best example.
Modric, in fact, played no part in Real Madrid’s first leg in Germany, and Ancelotti could thus look to field him tomorrow.
As the coach revealed in his pre-match press conference, he does have certain minor decisions to make over the starting lineup on the night at Santiago Bernabeu.
Apart from the eternal question between Kroos and Modric, Ancelotti is faced with the dilemma of central defence.
After all, Antonio Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouameni started as centre-backs against Valencia and it remains an option for tomorrow as well, but deploying Nacho alongside the German and shifting Tchouameni to the pivot position is also an option.
In the final third, the dilemma stands between deploying Rodrygo Goes or Brahim Diaz alongside Vinicius Jr. Ancelotti voraciously defended the Br azilian star in his pre-match presser, but could well opt to replace him with the more in-form Diaz against Leipzig.