da bet sport： Los Blancos are reportedly experimenting with a new system, but that might mean having to bench some of their biggest stars

da imperador bet： Something has happened in Real Madrid with the signing of Jude Bellingham. Los Blancos' midfield might actually be too good. Manager Carlo Ancelotti suddenly has an embarrassment of riches at his hands, six potentially world-class midfielders to fit into four spots.

The natural response has been for the manager to suggest a switch in formation. Ancelotti admitted that he might play around with his side, and deploy new boy Bellingham as a No.10, a move that will allow him to fit three more of his world-beaters into the side. That's perhaps a dream scenario for Bellingham, who can run, create and shoot to no end — all while having the legs and defensive capability behind him to ensure that he has freedom to roam.

But that doesn't necessarily make things anything easier for the manager. He still has Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni and Dani Ceballos, with just three starting spots to fit them into.

Ancelotti has shown in the past that he doesn't mind rotation. Kroos and Modric are both aging, and presumably playing their last season at the club. But when fit, they should be in the side. That would mean benching two of Camavinga, Tchouameni and Valverde — a near-impossible task. And what of Ceballos, the forgotten man turned helpful utility player? He simply cannot be discarded, either. Meanwhile, the signing of "Turkish Messi" Arda Guler only further complicates things.

So, how does this all work? How can Ancelotti fit seven players into four spots, and who can play where? GOAL has a look at where every option could be used…

Real MadridJude Bellingham

So, Ancelotti has, quite possibly, ditched his whole system to accommodate one player. This all seems rather out of character, especially given the great Italian's reliance on vibes and positional fluidity. But there is some sense to building around Bellingham here. Modric, Kroos and, presumably, Camavinga have all of the legs and intelligence to make things happen behind him.

Give Bellingham the ball in advanced areas, with runners in front of him and support on either wing, and the result could be deadly. He showed as such for England at the World Cup, dictating play throughout the group stage, and standing as the Three Lions' best player at the tournament.

He is, of course, versatile enough to work in other ways. If Madrid want to put Rodrygo in a more attacking role — something they flirted with last year — Bellingham could be moved back. But if this is indeed the Bellingham experiment, there is really only one role for him.

AdvertisementGettyEduardo Camavinga

Ancelotti still hasn't quite figured out what Camavinga's best position is, though the France international himself seems to know. He prefers to play anywhere, as long as it's not left-back. Ironically, and unfortunately for him, he's quite a good left-back, and it's where Ancelotti has routinely stuck the player for the last six months, preferring him to the likes of David Alaba and Ferland Mendy at the position.

But back-up has arrived in the form of Fran Garcia. The former Madrid academy player, brought in using a buy-back clause from Real Valladolid, figures to be in the mix for a starting nod at Santiago Bernabeu. Finally, then, Camavinga just might get his preferred midfield move.

In his teenage days at Rennes, he was nominally a No.6, but had the legs to scamper and track pretty much everywhere. At Madrid, Camavinga has played a bit of everything in the midfield, but figures to battle with fellow countryman Tchouameni for the No.6 role. It'll be a toss up.

GettyAurelien Tchouameni

Madrid's big-money signing of last summer looked like a fine addition before the World Cup. Tchouameni was still settling in, but looked every bit the ideal No.6 for Ancelotti's side. There were some faults — his distribution wasn't necessarily as expansive as his predecessor in the position. Still, the basics were there.

Then, it all went a bit wrong. Tchouameni picked up a couple of knocks before drawing the ire of his manager by skipping a cup tie while injured to attend a basketball game in Paris. He followed that with an inconsistent period, and by the end of the year had lost his spot in the XI.

Such is the harshness of playing for Madrid that the transfer links soon emerged. But Tchouameni has insisted that he won't leave the club, and plans to fight for his position. If he's anything like the player that was showing glimpses of class last season, he will be in the XI every week.

Getty ImagesToni Kroos

How to deal with Kroos' aging legs? Ancelotti has admitted that both Kroos and Modric will have to accept their minutes being reduced over the coming months, with a tentative understanding that the 2023-24 season could be their last at the club.

What, exactly, that means on a weekly basis remains to be seen. Kroos has done enough to prove that he should be in the XI pretty much every week. Although his defensive weaknesses are becoming more apparent, his metronomic passing is simply invaluable to the side, and they are a far more comfortable team on the ball when the German is playing.

Kroos' versatility will surely do him some favours, too. He can play as a No.6 or left-sided No.8. If he's not a regular starter at one position, bank on Kroos being the ideal rotation player — likely one Ancelotti will trust in the big games.