Asensio ruled out with fever - Jimenez to start at right back for Madrid

Confirmed team news shakes Madrid on matchday: Asensio is out with a fever and academy right back Jimenez is set to start. From a rival vantage point, this is exactly the kind of disruption that tilts a tight fixture. Madrid lose a ball-carrying threat between the lines and must trust a young full back to handle the flank under the brightest lights. I’ve seen this movie before - rhythm breaks, rotations wobble, and opponents pounce. Expect a cautious Madrid, less vertical without Asensio’s half-space runs, and a clear target on the new right side.

Spanish press briefings ahead of Madrid’s match confirmed Asensio’s fever and a late reshuffle at right back, with Jimenez primed to start. This follows a week of mixed availability updates from the coaching staff, plus contingency planning on the right flank given recent workloads. The timing lands hours before kickoff, forcing a tactical tweak and a bench recalibration.

🚨 CONFIRMED: Asencio is OUT due to fever. Jimenez set to start at RB. @marca

@MadridXtra

Impact Analysis

From a competitive perspective, this is a gift for Madrid’s opponents. Asensio’s absence rips out a stabilizer in that right half-space - the one-touch lay-offs, disguised diagonals, and shots from the edge that force backlines to stay honest. Without him, Madrid become predictable on the ball-side, easier to funnel wide and press trap. More importantly, introducing Jimenez at right back invites a deliberate targeting plan. Expect early diagonals to isolate him, second-ball contests funneled to his zone, and overlapping waves to test his positional discipline.

Having covered dozens of similar late scratches, the pattern is familiar: Madrid lose tempo in the first 25 minutes, midfield drops five meters to protect the channel, and transitions become longer and riskier. Asensio’s ability to knit phases is irreplaceable in the short term. A fever sounds minor, but performance-wise it lingers - conditioning dips, sharpness goes, and the return often comes a week later than the optimistic briefings. I wouldn’t be surprised if this knocks him out not just tonight but also the next fixture if intensity spikes midweek.

For rivals, the plan is simple: press the right, pin the full back with a wide forward, and force Madrid’s center back to step out awkwardly. One gap, one cutback, and the tone is set.

Reaction

Fans split fast. Some are bluntly relieved, calling Asensio overrated and insisting the attack will flow better without him. Others show a bit of class - get well soon, let the kid shine - and pin their hopes on Jimenez’s energy. A chunk of the replies drift off-topic, classic matchday noise where brand plugs and unrelated outrage flood the thread, but the core sentiment is clear: uncertainty on the right, curiosity about the youngster.

There’s a pragmatic camp that just wants clarity - Jimenez starts, end of story - while the more cynical voices twist the news into a wider recruitment argument, nudging the president to act in January. That last note tracks with what I hear around directors’ boxes when late absences stack up: one injury becomes a roster referendum. The optimists see opportunity for a breakout. The realists fear early mistakes getting punished. As a rival observer, I can tell you which mood usually wins on nights like this.

Social reactions

What is Joan Martinez doing in the team ??

RHAJA BLESS 🕊️ (@_rhajaRMFC)

Time for Jimenez to shine ✨

Gift (@OfficialJoney)

Good, take that rugby balls kicking hooligan out😭😭

Reece (@loverboy_reece)

Prediction

If the opponent presses bravely, Madrid’s right side will creak. Jimenez will get baited into early decisions - step or hold, inside or touchline - and the first misread opens a cutback lane. I expect the center mid on that side to sink deeper, which will slow Madrid’s counters and starve the nine of fast service. Without Asensio, the half-space shots disappear, and the back post run becomes the only real surprise action.

Scenario A: Madrid survive the first wave, edge into control after halftime, and nick a 1-0 from a set piece. Scenario B - the one I lean toward - opponents score first by overloading Jimenez’s corridor, and Madrid chase the game with sterile possession. Either way, I don’t see Asensio back immediately. Fevers sap legs longer than the medical notes admit, especially with quick turnarounds. Pencil his return for the fixture after next, not the one everyone circles optimistically. And if the club wants to avoid reruns, January will need a senior right-sided option, even if it’s a short-term stopgap.

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Conclusion

This late twist hands momentum to Madrid’s opponents. Losing Asensio strips ball security and final-third craft, while throwing a young right back into the fire changes the entire defensive geometry. I’ve watched enough of these nights to know what’s coming: a conservative first half, risk management over ambition, and a target pinned to the newcomer’s back. It’s not personal - it’s game theory.

As for timelines, don’t buy the quick-return chatter. Match sharpness after a fever is a different battle to passing a thermometer test. Madrid will talk day-to-day. I’d mark it week-to-week. Until then, rivals will funnel traffic down that side and dare Madrid to solve it without their half-space technician. The margins are thin at the top. Tonight, they just got thinner for the hosts.