While the Real Madrid squad boasts several talented players this season, one stands out for all the wrong reasons. Completely overlooked by Carlo Ancelotti, he has become the laughingstock of his teammates during training sessions.
Real Madrid has just kicked off the second half of its season. Travelling to the Mestalla to face Valencia in a rescheduled fixture from matchday 12 of La Liga, Carlo Ancelotti’s team didn’t miss the opportunity. Thanks to Jude Bellingham’s last-gasp goal, the three points went to the Madrilenians, who provisionally lead the league table with a two-point advantage over Atlético Madrid (with a game in hand). This new year promises to be intense for Los Merengues, who have numerous competitions to juggle, and the coaching staff will aim to utilise the entire squad.
Will the team’s weakest player get another chance?
However, the question remains whether Jesús Vallejo, deemed the weakest player in the squad, can hope for any game time this year. A Real Madrid player since 2015, the Spanish defender has played a spectator’s role this season. Returning from an unconvincing loan spell at Granada, Vallejo has failed to impress Carlo Ancelotti. During his brief appearance against Alavés on 24 September 2024 in La Liga, the 27-year-old disappointed in the 16 minutes he spent on the pitch.
Expected to bolster the defence with the team leading 3-0, Jesús Vallejo instead destabilised the backline. Within two minutes, Alavés scored and nearly equalised. To avoid further risks, Carlo Ancelotti promptly sidelined the Spanish player. Since that brief stint, the Zaragoza academy product hasn’t played a single minute. As further proof of his exclusion, the Real Madrid coaching staff chose to promote Raúl Asensio, a reserve team player, to first-team action last November.
Jesús Vallejo: Real Madrid’s most dribbled-against defender
As the lowest-paid player in the Real Madrid squad (excluding Raúl Asensio, who has yet to sign a senior contract), Jesús Vallejo is often outclassed during training sessions. According to a report from Relevo weeks ago, the 27-year-old is considered the weakest of all defenders. Lacking confidence, Vallejo is frequently dribbled past. During the final training session before the Valencia match, a clip of Vinícius Junior dazzling past Vallejo made the rounds.
In the clip, Vallejo is seen enduring a humiliating dribble, which is reportedly just a glimpse of what he has faced for months. Given the current circumstances, it seems unlikely that the Spanish defender will feature on the pitch this year. With Aurélien Tchouaméni’s repositioning as a central defender, Vallejo is expected to merely make up the numbers until the season ends, when he will likely need to leave Real Madrid to revive his career. That said, it remains to be seen if Ancelotti can perform a miracle for this player, who, despite his struggles, remains a problem-free member of the squad.
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