Real Madrid superstar ‘fears’ heading the ball after previous experiences | OneFootball

Real Madrid are not afraid of getting to the byline and cutting the ball back, but this season there has been a decline in the number of crosses swung in from deep. That is partly due to inconsistent and different play from their full-backs this season, but in no small part down to changes in their forward line last summer too.

Last year Los Blancos bid farewell to Joselu Mato, who did not return after an incredibly successful year on loan, where coming off the bench he managed 17 goals and 3 assists. His aerial threat was a different weapon for Carlo Ancelotti, and often benefitted Jude Bellingham with his movement too.

Now with Endrick Felipe and Kylian Mbappe as their more natural centre-forward options, Los Blancos have altered their attack to find balls into the box along the ground. Neither are blessed with great height, and nor do they stand out for their aerial ability. According to Diario AS, Mbappe’s aerial weakness comes from a fear of going in for headers.

Previously he has suffered concussions early on in his Ligue 1 career back in 2016, while playing for AS Monaco, which installed an extra degree of caution in the French forward. A year and a half after his first concussion, the same thing happened again, and Mbappe has not liked the impacting the ball with his head since. Last summer, during Euro 2024, Mbappe also played with a mask after breaking his nose, something that inhibited his breathing and caused him no shortage of discomfort.

Mbappe has 23 goals in 35 games this season, but none have come from headers. It clearly is not impacting his game too much, but it is a notable absence when put down in numbers. Previously, too much contact from headers has been linked with an increased risk of dementia in later life, and it is certainly a legitimate concern.