5 players Real Madrid can’t afford to drop

#3 Luka Modric

Real Madrid CF v Celta Vigo - Copa Del Rey Quarter-final: First Leg

He may not score many goals or even get too many assists, but Luka Modric is the man who makes Real Madrid tick in the centre of the field. What Xavi was to Barcelona at their peak, the Croatia international is to Zidane’s Madrid. He may operate quietly, but that does not stop him from being an integral player.

When he first arrived at the Bernabeu, he was deployed as an attacking midfielder operating in the lines between midfield and defence, though in truth he has always performed to his best as a deep-lying playmaker – the role he now undertakes.

“Luka Modric is definitely one of best midfield players in the world,” former Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said of the former Tottenham man. “He has great technical abilities, reads the game and has a strong personality that he has built over the years. Besides that, he is a very pleasant person.”

Zidane is a major fan of the 32-year-old, too, praising the “calmness and stability” that he brings to the team. With the tempest currently raging around the squad and the intense scrutiny on their performances, these are attributes not to be underestimated as they attempt to regain their rhythm ahead of a period before that will likely be decisive in how they perform this season.