Carlo Ancelotti gave himself some leeway before making a decision after Dani Carvajal's injury.
He tried Lucas Vázquez, a veteran with experience in the position, on the wing. However, he wasn't convinced. He scored a great goal Against Borussia Dortmund, reminiscent of his days as a winger.
Defensively,though, he has many shortcomings. Ancelotti already has plenty of good forwards. What he asks of his defenders is that they must defend well.
Against Borussia Dortmund, Lucas Vázquez was directly responsible for the Germans' two goals in the first half.
At first, his mistake in passing the ball on the edge of the area led to the goal. In the second half, he got past by his opponent and arrived in his position huffing and puffing, even when the goal was inevitable anyway.
Lucas Vázquez is No Good for the Whole Season
Ancelotti values Lucas Vázquez's offensive contribution as a winger, which is excellent. But he would prefer him to be impenetrable at the back and less gifted in attacking plays.
The conclusion is that Lucas Vázquez can be useful to Ancelotti for specific games. Not to maintain the right-back position for the entire season, though.
Knowing that there's no one in the youth team that he likes for that position, Ancelotti has other options. Tchouaméni or even Rüdiger and Militão can play in that position. The problem is that none of them is a winger.
The classic will set the roadmap to follow in order to replace Carvajal. Ancelotti is cautious by nature. Other than that emergency transfer of Kepa Arrizabalaga last season to replace Courtois, he doesn't usually lose his nerve in the face of long-term injuries.
Real Madrid is defending its titles as La Liga champion and Champions League winner. They can't go the battlefield offering advantages to their rivals.
Ancelotti's Bet is Alexander-Arnold
Ancelotti's bet is on Liverpool's winger Trent Alexander-Arnold. Florentino Pérez's strategy is to wait for him to arrive in June on a free transfer at no cost.
Now, in an emergency situation, Ancelotti will ask the club to make a financial effort to fill the gap left by Carvajal. With six months left on his contract, Liverpool can't ask for more than 20 million for him in the winter transfer market.
Ancelotti is waiting for the arrival of the reinforcement like fresh water in a desert. He could join at any time as a solution to a long-term absence. But he would be satisfied if he arrives in the winter market.