The England national team manager, Thomas Tuchel, had some very kind words to say about Real Madrid's Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde
Although he has been a consistent performer for a number of years now, it doesn’t feel unreasonable to say that Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde is in the form of his life right now.
The 27-year old scored seven goals in the month of March, including a hat-trick against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg, and a goal against Atletico Madrid in the 3-2 derby victory.
His seventh goal of the month came for the Uruguay national team, as he fired home a stoppage-time penalty into the bottom corner to secure a draw against England at Wembley Stadium.
Not just the goal, but Valverde’s all-round performance was once again very good, winning lots of duels and covering plenty of ground as he so often does in the middle of the park.
Well, it’s clear that the Uruguayan impressed the opposition manager, Thomas Tuchel. The German manager was asked which Uruguay player, other than Valverde, he would like in the England national team.
To which, he responded: “Oh no, no. I’ll still pick Fede Valverde. Valverde will always have a place in any team in the world.”
Some strong praise there from Tuchel. Hard to disagree, either. You’d do well to find a team in world football that Real Madrid’s number eight would not hugely improve and help.
It’s a real shame for Alvaro Arbeola’s side that he will be suspended for the La Liga game against Mallorca on Saturday, having been sent off against Atletico Madrid last time out.
The red card felt harsh, but the suspension was not rescinded, and there was some relief that it was not a two- or three-game ban.
Plus, it means he will be fresh for the crucial UEFA Champions League first leg against Bayern Munich at the Bernabeu next week, which is an incredibly important game for the club.
It will be interesting to see where he is deployed for that particular game. His recent form has come in midfield, and he has made no secret that he prefers to play there, but could it be a game where he is needed at right-back?
Bayern left winger Luis Diaz has been one of his team's best players this season, with his dynamism and trickery too much for opponents to handle. The physicality, or lack thereof, from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal could therefore be an issue, resulting in Valverde filling in there. Let's see.
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