Carlo Ancelotti handed double midfield boost ahead of Granada vs Real Madrid

Carlo Ancelotti will be delighted with the time two of his three midfield stars have had to recover.

Real Madrid have relied heavily on three midfield players over recent years with Casemiro, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos making up the famous trident.

But all three players have faced heavy demands over the last few years, getting very little rest between club and international football.

Though, as we head into the winter period in La Liga, Los Blancos boss Ancelotti will be delighted with the condition of his trident.

While Modric played twice during the international break to help Croatia qualify for the World Cup, Casemiro has had the chance to put his fee up in recent days.

Casemiro helped Brazil qualify with a win early in the break but picked up a yellow card and missed the second game, giving himself some much-needed rest.

Meanwhile, Kroos has now retired from international break, allowing him to get a full two weeks of rest.

That means Ancelotti will have a well-rested trident ahead of a clash with Granada this weekend, and indeed heading into the rest of the winter period.