Real Madrid protection plan for ‘marathon man’ Fede Valverde

Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso will be working to protect key midfielder from injury Fede Valverde this season.

Alonso signed a three-year contract back in Madrid as the club push for a new era following Carlo Ancelotti’s departure in May.

Valverde will take on even more responsibility in the coming months after former captain Luka Modric brought down the curtain on 13 incredible years at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, with Valverde now moving up to vice captain.

Thee fit-again Dani Carvajal will be captain, but based on his recent injury record and the arrival of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Valverde could don the armband on multiple occasions.

The change is part of an ongoing upward curve for Valverde, who is also captain for Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay, and Alonso is confident he will rise to the challenge.

However, the club’s medical staff are cautious on overloading him, based on some impressive statistics over the last two seasons.

‘Marathon man Valverde’ leads Alonso’s new-look Real Madrid

Since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, Real Madrid have played 123 matches in all competitions, of which Valverde has participated in 119, a total of 9,808 minutes.

Image via AFP7 / Europa Press

Primarily deployed in his favoured central midfield slot, Valverde has also covered on the right of midfield, and at right back – following Carvajal’s AC injury last season.

Valverde racked up 6,676 minutes played in 2024/25 – the highest total in world football – split across action for Real Madrid and Uruguay.

Alonso has compared Valverde to his former teammate Steven Gerrard as indication of his value to Los Blancos.

As per reports from Diario AS, Alonso will opt against using him as a stop gap in certain position this season, to avoid injury.

Alexander-Arnold and Carvajal have right back covered and that will reduce his need to step in as an emergency option with Dani Ceballos expected to stay as an extra body in midfield.