Real Madrid are suffering from a lack of leadership in the dressing room as both Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham have failed to fill the void.
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Madrid enduring tough start to seasonEuropean champions lack dressing room leaderMbappe and Bellingham haven't filled voidFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Despite the addition of World Cup winner Mbappe to a team that won the Champions League and La Liga last term, Madrid haven't looked convincing at times this season – most notably in the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in Europe.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
As well as concerns about the effectiveness of their playing style and Mbappe's difficulty in adapting to his new team, reports that the dressing room lacks a loud and encouraging voice. Despite his role as France captain, Mbappe prefers not to make big speeches and has stayed relatively quiet, while Bellingham's ability to command the squad is hindered by the language barrier.
Instead, the report says, Lucas Vazquez has taken it on himself to shout at his co-stars, while Antonio Rudiger has given guidance to the team's younger players and veteran midfielder Luka Modric shows his leadership in a more quiet manner by discussing issues with coaches.
DID YOU KNOW?
The absence of leadership in the dressing room is partly down to the loss of injured full-back Dani Carvajal, who may miss the rest of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, as well as the summer departures of Toni Kroos and Nacho Fernandez
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MADRID?
After seeing Barcelona slip up for the third time in a row, Madrid have the opportunity to put more pressure on Hansi Flick's side at the top of La Liga in the coming weeks.
