Militão’s good performance in Copa America reassures Ancelotti

Having recovered from his serious injury, defender Éder Militão returned to playing at his best at the start of the 2024 Copa América, which gives his coach Carlo Ancelotti some peace of mind, as he faces an unprecedented shortage of defenders at Real Madrid.

Also in the United States, where he is on vacation, Ancelotti recently saw Nacho leave for Saudi football and now only has Militão, Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba in the defense, apart from the occasional help from midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni.

Alaba, moreover, has been injured since the end of last year and will still need a few months to reintegrate into the squad of the current Spanish champion and the Champions League.

While the club is looking for reinforcements, with an eye on promising French defender Leny Yoro (Lille), Ancelotti follows the evolution of his Brazilian players from the small town of Darby (Montana), where he enjoys his passion for horses.

For now, Militão was a starter in the team’s first two games, which on Tuesday will close the group stage with a crucial duel against a hot Colombia, in Santa Clara (California).

Brazil need the win to finish top of Group D and avoid a tight quarter-final clash, most likely against Uruguay.

Brazil in the market

Militão, the leader of the ‘merengue’ defense in recent years, missed a large part of last season due to a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, suffered in August 2023.

The Brazilian returned in time to help his teammates in the decisive phase of the Champions League but, with the lack of competitive rhythm, Ancelotti maintained his trust in Nacho and Rüdiger.

In Brazil, he returned to the starting line-up despite the great competition in that position. Coach Dorival Júnior opted for him in defense from the start along with Marquinhos, bringing Gabriel Magalhães and Bremer, coveted defenders from Arsenal and Juventus, to the bench.

The ‘canarinha’ defense was little tested in the opening 0-0 draw against Costa Rica, but on Friday Militão made a good impression in the 4-1 victory over Paraguay.

The defender showed clear signs of recovering his speed and strength in the duels and frustrated Brighton’s young striker Julio Enciso, a standout player for the Paraguayan national team, who did everything he could to shine in the tournament.

The Copa América will allow them to continue gaining experience against increasingly challenging opponents, starting with Colombia’s Luis Díaz and James Rodríguez, who arrive with confidence at the top after 25 games unbeaten.

If nothing unexpected happens, Militão should start the season as a starter for Real Madrid in the European Super Cup, on August 14, against Atalanta.

This clash in Warsaw could mark the official debut with the merengue shirt of Frenchman Kylian Mbappé and young Brazilian striker Endrick, who Ancelotti will also be following closely these days.

While trying to win the continental trophy, several players from the Brazilian team are dealing with issues related to their future, such as Raphinha (Barcelona) and Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), who this Sunday was transferred to Juventus in a transaction worth around 50 million euros. euros (approximately R$300 million at current prices).