A lot of the focus during Real Madrid’s pre-season tour in the United States was on the young academy centre-backs who had been called up by the manager.
With Leny Yoro rejecting Los Blancos for the Premier League, the men in white were after all a body short in central defence and there was tight competition between Joan Martinez, Raul Asencio and Jacobo Ramon for a place in the senior team.
All three players had their chances but it was 16-year-old Martinez who impressed the most. Unfortunately, however, he suffered an ACL injury in training and is expected to be out for six months at least.
Martinez was the chosen one
As revealed in a recent update by AS, Martinez was well placed to see minutes with the first team had he not suffered his gruesome injury.
While he would be registered primarily as a Castilla star, he would regularly have seen call-ups to the senior side.
Just 16 years old, the youngster joined Real Madrid last year and impressed in the youth ranks before earning a spot in the pre-season this summer. Having impressed Ancelotti & co., he was all set to be part of the first-team setup for the season.
Jacobo Ramon the replacement
Now, however, he is out of the scene and Jacobo Ramon is the player who will take his place.
The young defender has been registered as the team’s new number 31, meaning he can continue to play for the Castilla side as well. His primary duty, however, will be with the senior side as the fourth-choice centre-back.
The possibility of a new signing has been rejected, especially with Los Blancos not seeing any worthy candidate on the transfer market.
It remains to be seen if Ramon indeed is rewarded with playing time this season, especially with Aurelien Tchouameni ahead of him in the pecking order as well.
Martinez, meanwhile, may enter the dynamics when completely recovered. Considering the prognosis and the usual layoff period for ACL injuries, however, that could well be only next year.