Ass: Raul Assencio has not played in the new season yet and is now the fourth central defender

"As" reported that Raul Asensio has not yet obtained a chance to play in the new season.

For Raul Asensio, this is not the dream start of the season, just as the ending of last season was not as good as it did. The 2024-25 season is destined to be a turning point that changes his destiny. The injury on the back line forced Ancelotti to promote him to the first team as a central defender, and he has not returned to Castilla since then. He played for Real Madrid for more than 3,000 minutes and became a key figure in important battles such as the two-leg matches against Manchester City.

But Real Madrid noticed the problem on the defensive end and then took action in the transfer market, introducing three defenders, including signing central defender Heysen for 58 million euros. It can be foreseen that Asensio's position in Real Madrid will face challenges. He is still the main starter in the Club World Cup, and missed the semi-final against Paris only due to suspension.

Originally, Asensio was expected to be the main player in the defense throughout the game, but his performance was repeatedly set. He sent a 1-1 penalty against Riyadh Crescent, and was red after just 7 minutes of foul against Pachuca. Although he regained the starting lineup against Paris due to a shortage of personnel, his performance was once again awkward, which directly led to Fabian Ruiz's first goal in the prelude for Paris.

Asencio's form fell to the bottom as competition intensified, which made people expect his start to struggle this season. As expected, he did not get a minute of playing time in the first three rounds of the league, although Xavi Alonso has suggested that as the schedule deepens, substitutes and players who have not yet played will get opportunities.

But the current three-round league has clearly shown the hierarchical order of the central defender position. Militon and Heysen are the first choice, Rudiger is the primary rotation, and Asensio becomes the fourth central defender. Alaba is more of a fill-up option for specific moments and a potential substitute for Joan Améni's defensive midfield.

Despite foreseeing marginalization of the role, Real Madrid decided to reward Asensio's outstanding performance and potential last season, renewing his contract until 2031, with a significant salary increase and a 1 billion euro termination fee. His medium and long-term future has been guaranteed, but now he must fight for a place in the Alonso plan, which is still difficult for him at the moment.

This situation also cast a shadow on his prospects for participating in the US, Canada and Mexico World Cup next summer. With his outstanding performance at Real Madrid, he was selected for the big roster of Delafuent in March, but lost to the list in the last two periods. Without continuous opportunities to play, he will find it difficult to return to the national team. Because of this, Asensio must fight hard in this tortuous season and find his place in this brand new Real Madrid.