Real Madrid are preparing for Sunday’s La Liga clash with Deportivo Alaves amid one of the most severe defensive crises in recent memory, with almost the entire first-choice backline unavailable for selection.
Manager Xabi Alonso will be without Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who are all sidelined with injuries. To compound matters, Antonio Rüdiger has now joined the absentee list after reporting muscular discomfort earlier this week.
Adding to the manager’s problems, Álvaro Carreras and Fran García are both suspended following red cards in last weekend’s defeat to Celta Vigo. As a result, Alonso is left with only two senior defensive options in Raúl Asencio and Dean Huijsen, both of whom only resumed full training on Thursday.
With such limited choices, Real Madrid are expected to turn to their Castilla ranks to fill the gaps in defence, with 19-year-old Víctor Valdepeñas emerging as a strong candidate to make his first-team debut.
According to journalist Jorge C. Picón, the teenage defender is in serious contention to start against Alaves. Valdepeñas, who is capable of operating both at centre-back and left-back, is highly regarded within the club’s academy and has long been tipped as one of its brightest prospects.
The youngster was first included in a senior matchday squad by Carlo Ancelotti last March for the league fixture against Villarreal. More recently, he earned his first call-up under Alonso during the midweek Champions League clash with Manchester City, where he was named among the substitutes but didn’t see any minutes.
That could change this weekend. With Madrid completely devoid of recognised left-backs—Mendy injured, Carreras and García suspended, and Alaba and Eduardo Camavinga both ruled out—Valdepeñas looks poised to seize a golden opportunity to make his official debut, possibly as a starter.
Reports suggest the teenager has impressed Alonso and his coaching staff in recent training sessions with his composure, defensive awareness, and maturity beyond his years. Fellow Castilla players Joan Martínez and Jorge Cestero, who also travelled for the City game, are expected to be in the matchday squad again.
Interestingly, Valdepeñas’ rise has not gone unnoticed outside Spain. Arsenal are reportedly monitoring his development closely, viewing him as a potential long-term target.
For now, though, Real Madrid’s focus is purely on surviving a critical test in La Liga — and the teenage defender may just be handed the most important opportunity of his young career.
