No panic over sluggish Kroos
Posted Tuesday, September 29, 2015 by Marca.com
In the latter stages of Real Madrid's draw with Malaga, there were moments when Toni Kroos looked jaded, labouring to get back into position and even making the odd gesture of frustration after coming off second best in a few 50-50s.
However, there are no concerns at the Bernabeu that this is anything other than a temporary blip brought on by the midfielder not being in tip-top physical shape. The hope is that as the season wears on, Kroos will come into his own again, once more showcasing the gut-busting runs and deft touch that wowed the fans last term.
Although he is not at peak fitness at present, Kroos's stats have not suffered. The German continues to set the tempo every match and while his displays may not be as brilliant as we have come to expect, a glance at his numbers reveals that the 25-year-old remains a model of consistency.
Kroos has only lost possession 15 times in the league so far this season, once every 27 minutes or so. The only Real Madrid player with a better record is Raphaël Varane, whose average stands at once every 30.31 minutes, albeit he has given the ball away once more in overall terms.
Though he is a key man in Rafa Benitez's system and will usually be one of the first names on the team sheet, the idea is to rotate Kroos more frequently this term than last. The thinking behind this is to keep the German's legs fresh so that he is playing his best football in a Real Madrid shirt nearer the business end of the campaign.
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