Indispensable Sami Khedira

Sami Khedira has become an indispensable part of the Real Madrid and the German midfield setup. His natural ability to win the ball back in front of his defensive line, amazing aerial capabilities and also his ability to help start counter attacks has helped him become a regular starter for his club and his country.

Real Madrid is filled with world’s best creative and offensive talent. It’s easy to overlook Khedira’s contribution. Running over 10 km in every match, Khedira is by far the most hard working and energetic player on the pitch on any given night. He has been tasked with the role of disrupting the opponent’s game. His presence also helps Xabi Alonso adopt a more creative role. Khedira’s absence forces Alonso to adopt a deeper role, which in turn reduces the creativity of the Los Blancos.

The recent international break has not been kind to Khedira. The German international tore his cruciate ligament when playing against Italy. He has been ruled out for six months and Ancelotti has made it clear that he will not be looking for Khedira’s replacement in the January transfer market. This shows that despite being a “Mourinho disciple”, he will be a big part of Ancelotti’s future plan at Real Madrid.

Khedira had formed a superb holding midfield partnership with Bastian Schweinsteiger, who himself underwent surgery this week for a persistent ankle injury. Khedira’s recovery will also be crucial for Germany if they plan to mount a serious challenge for the World Cup at Rio, Brazil .