Vinicius Junior doing calma celebration

Aryan Singh

Carlo Ancelotti opens up on Vinicius Junior’s playing position amid Mbappe links

Carlo Ancelotti, Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid, Vinicius Junior

Vinicius Jr’s meteoric rise to the top continues as the Brazilian keeps producing incredible performances week in, week out. Under Carlo Ancelotti, the 21-year-old looks reinvigorated and has successfully found the killer touch he was lacking last season.

His run of form has ensured his place in the starting lineup for the time being and Ancelotti reaffirmed the faith he has in the Brazilian during his press conference before the game against Sevilla.

The Italian manager was asked about the potential arrival of a certain Kylian Mbappe and how that would affect Vinicius’s role in the team considering the Brazilian prefers playing on the left, similar to the PSG star.

Ancelloti responded, “Vinícius is a player who has to play on the left. He’ll keep playing on the left, no matter the teammates he has.”

The Italian manager clearly projected confidence in his player and later earned vindication as Vinicius Jr scored an incredible goal against Sevilla in the 87th minute, winning the game for Los Blancos.

Mbappe’s potential arrival will certainly bring changes to Real’s frontline. The French international has shown that he can spearhead attacks and play in a central position as he mostly does for PSG at the moment, however considering Karim Benzema’s recent run of form, the striker’s place in the lineup is indisputable.

Furthermore, the two Frenchman show excellent synergy when they play together for Les Bleus, a potent combination that can prove to be lethal.

It remains to be seen how Ancelotti answers these impending questions and fits together the various pieces, but considering the wealth of attacking options that the Italian might end up having, it’ll be a good conundrum to have.