Real Madrid: Fran García offers Zidane left-back solution
In the wake of the news that Ferland Mendy has been ruled out by injury, the youth product trained with the seniors once more on Tuesday.
The groin strain suffered by Ferland Mendy has left Zinedine Zidane dealing with something of a defensive injury crisis: the Real Madrid coach now has no specialist senior left-backs available for Wednesday evening's LaLiga clash with Osasuna.
However, it is a position in which he has particularly strong youth options at his disposal, most notably in the form of Castilla's Fran García.
García to feature in Madrid squads during Mendy absence
García has trained regularly with the first team so far this season and, in the wake of the news that Mendy is likely to be out until after the international break in mid-October, Zidane again included the 20-year-old in Tuesday's session at Valdebebas, as Los Blancos prepared for their midweek match-up with Los Rojillos.
Although Zidane's plan is to draft Nacho in at left-back against Osasuna, García is expected to feature in matchday squads during Mendy's absence. That would be nothing new for the youth product, who was given his Madrid debut against Melilla in last season's Copa del Rey, and capped his first-team bow with an assist.
One of the most highly-rated prospects in Madrid's youth set-up, García has represented Spain at every age-group level so far (helping the Under-17s to second place at the 2017 European Championship and subsequently becoming a regular for the Under-19s), and is now pushing for a place in the Under-21s.
Under Raúl, Castilla have in fact chiefly used García as a winger due to Rodrygo Goes' intermittent availability to Madrid's 'B' team. However, this is only a temporary situation - the club primarily see him as a left-back, and feel it is a role in which he has the potential to establish himself in the senior squad in the medium-term future.