Zinedine Zidane looked happy after Sunday's first match of the preseason, despite Real Madrid's defeat at the hands of Manchester United in the penalty shootout. He already knows what the first unit can bring to the table, so it's only a question of recovering their shape and getting some playing time under their belts.
The pleasant surprise came off the bench. The second unit's cameo, a lineup formed almost completely by youngsters who won't feature in La Liga after the summer -- and therefore what in fact is Real Madrid's third unit -- showed there's plenty of hope coming from the youth teams. The performance of Achraf Hakimi in the right full-back position was remarkable, especially after the sale of Danilo to Manchester City.
Can we say that the squad is complete? After the match, Zidane said he hasn't asked for a new centre-forward to replace Alvaro Morata, nor any other reinforcement. But the fact is, positive as the signings and sales have been so far, the developments of the last week make it necessary for the club to make another move in the market, if only to match the depth this squad enjoyed last season. The silly season is far from over for Real Madrid.
Even if Zidane refuses to admit it publicly now, he did recognise that the squad was better off with Morata, so they do need a new striker. Although some players may chip in to compensate for the loss of the forward -- in this regard Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale have a lot to offer -- the fact is the team needs another offensive threat to cover for the likely absences of the front three, as none of the BBC look likely to spend a full season injury free.
The need for another striker is obvious, but there's another gap of similar importance that seems to have gone unnoticed. With Nacho Fernandez inching closer to become the first option off the bench to cover for Sergio Ramos or Raphael Varane, there's no replacement for the outstanding, but injury-prone Daniel Carvajal.
The position of the starting full-back is safe, but it's indeed risky, or even reckless, to leave him as the only natural option for that spot. In the last two seasons, Carvajal hasn't played more than 23 La Liga matches, mostly due to muscular injuries that have bothered him since he came back to Madrid.
The last one almost saw him miss the Champions League final, and gave Danilo the final run of matches that has allowed Real Madrid to keep his market value in the sale to not-so-careful spenders Manchester City.
While Achraf looks promising, it would be a waste to have him spend a season as Carvajal's understudy, playing just a few matches here and there, and half-hoping for another Carvajal injury to enjoy some continuity. The 18-year-old Moroccan will develop much faster if he stays in the B team or, even better, if he's loaned to another team in which he can compete for a starting position and play more often than not.
What Real Madrid need isn't a young talent dying to play and unhappy to spend time on the bench, but a veteran, experienced defender who understands his role as a back up and wants to win some silverware in the last few years of his career. Zidane's strong belief in rotations will give him enough chances to play, but he won't complain if those opportunities disappear towards the end of the season. The squad needs a role player, something resembling Gabriel Heinze in a better shape than the one the hard-working Argentinean displayed in his two seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu.
So far, the summer has been good for Real Madrid, in terms of signings, sales and cash obtained. But the club still needs to bring a couple of players to improve this squad when compared to last season's. And while a new striker is important, a right full-back will give the defence the extra bit of depth required to be competitive until the last match of the season.