Long considered one of the world’s best left-backs, the Brazilian has recently lost his spot to Sergio Reguilon <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Marcelo, for so long a mainstay at left-back at Real Madrid, is currently out of favour.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sergio Reguilon has taken the Brazilian’s place as Madrid\u2019s first-choice left-back for the time being, as Marcelo started his first game at left-back on Thursday since January 6.<\/p>\n
Before then, Reguilon had started three consecutive matches at left-back, as the Castilla product continues to impress under Santiago Solari.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The sight of Marcelo on the bench is an odd one for any Madrid supporter, with the 30-year-old having established himself among the world\u2019s best at his position over the past decade.<\/p>\n
But injuries have affected Marcelo this term, the Brazilian having missed 10 games with various muscle problems, and he has not been at his best when healthy either.<\/p>\n
Additionally, Marcelo has struggled with his weight throughout his career, and his lack of consistent playing time this season has made it difficult for him to maintain his peak fitness.<\/p>\n
Despite his stuttering campaign so far Solari has insisted that he is still a big backer of Marcelo, and that he has reacted well to his recent benching.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“His love for the club and his commitment to the club and his joy at training are undoubted, and his behaviour is impeccable. All these things must be praised,\u201d the Madrid manager said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
“It’s always a difficult task to pick the team.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Indeed, Madrid sources have confirmed to Goal<\/strong> that Marcelo\u2019s response to his recent benching has been positive, and he is continuing to train hard with the hope of regaining his spot in Solari\u2019s team.<\/p>\n Unlike the case of Isco, another Madrid player out of favour, Marcelo\u2019s relationship with Solari remains good, with no personal animosity between the pair.<\/p>\n However, if Marcelo continues to be unable to regain his spot, rumours linking him with a summer switch to Juventus will\u00a0increase.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Several Madrid players have been tipped to follow Cristiano Ronaldo in making the move to Turin, and Ronaldo himself seemed to encourage his former team-mate to join him\u00a0in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport last month.<\/p>\n \u201cMarcelo is strong, we open the doors to good players and Marcelo is one of them,\u201d the Portuguese said.<\/p>\n For now, though, Marcelo is happy at Madrid and Solari is still counting on him, despite his recent benching.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Long considered one of the world’s best left-backs, the Brazilian has recently lost his spot to Sergio Reguilon Marcelo, for so long a mainstay at left-back at Real Madrid, is currently out of favour.\u00a0 Sergio Reguilon has taken the Brazilian’s place as Madrid\u2019s first-choice left-back for the time being, as Marcelo started his first game … <\/p>\n