Real Madrid just let Endrick, their teenage striker, leave on loan to Olympique Lyon until the end of the season.

The young Brazilian had barely played since coming back from injury in September. Xabi Alonso, the manager, kept him mostly on the bench.

So, the club decided it was better for Endrick to get regular minutes somewhere else. He needs to keep growing as a player and wants to fight for a spot in Brazil’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Endrick, now 19, has already been training with Lyon for over a week. Today, the club introduced him to the media, and he sounded pretty excited about this new chapter.

Talking about why he picked Lyon, Endrick said, “When Lyon reached out, it was a big deal for me, my wife, and my family. My manager, Fred, and I agreed it was the right move. I want to play, and I feel like this is where I need to be. My heart’s in Lyon now. I’ll work hard for this team, and I’m grateful to everyone at the club for making this happen.”

He also mentioned how touched he was by the warm welcome. “It meant a lot to see how excited the fans were. Some even travelled just so I could sign shirts for them. That really got to me. My arrival here puts more eyes on Lyon and Ligue 1 back in Brazil. More young people will be watching what happens in France. I love connecting with supporters and feeling all this energy.”

Reflecting on his last six months at Real Madrid, Endrick stayed positive. “Honestly, those were the best six months of my life. I spent time with my wife. I built my house. Without those things and my family, I’m nothing. I feel more mature now, more focused. I’m grateful to everyone who’s been with me. Seriously, those months meant everything.”

When talk of the loan move started swirling in the press, Endrick said it became a bit of a running joke in the Madrid locker room. “The rumours came out, and my teammates kept asking if I was leaving. We laughed about it. I talked to a few of them about what was being said.”

He also spoke with Carlo Ancelotti, the former Madrid boss and now Brazil’s head coach. “I talked to Ancelotti, and he gave me advice on how to get better as a player. His words really stuck with me. He told me, ‘Go, develop your football, be happy.’ I’d already made my decision, but what he said mattered. Ancelotti helped me a lot at Madrid. Now it’s on me to help Lyon win.”

As for his goals, Endrick kept it simple: “I want to help Lyon win trophies and finish strong in Ligue 1. Of course, everyone dreams of playing for Brazil. I’ve already had the chance to debut and score for them. I haven’t been called up recently, but I’ll do everything I can to wear that shirt again.”

So, earlier this week, news dropped: Kylian Mbappe is out for three weeks. That’s a big blow for Real Madrid, especially with so many important games lined up in January.

Honestly, this whole situation didn’t have to happen. Mbappe skipped the Manchester City match, but then he played a full 90 minutes against a third-division team in the Copa del Rey just six days later. In between, he went the distance against Alaves. And then—another full match with Sevilla. It’s not hard to see how this could catch up with anyone.

You’d think this would be the perfect moment to have a Brazilian international striker available. But of course, Madrid just loaned him out to Lyon in Ligue 1. So, Xabi Alonso’s got some thinking to do. He’s got to figure out how to keep things rolling without his superstar.

So, what now? What should Real Madrid actually do without Mbappe?

First idea: play a real number nine—Gonzalo Garcia. In a recent chat with Diario AS, a former Real Madrid striker pointed out the obvious: the team misses having a classic centre-forward. Garcia could be that guy. He showed what he can do at the Club World Cup, bagging four goals and an assist. He connected really well with Vinicius, especially in games against Al Hilal and Juventus. That was the first time since Benzema left that Vinicius had a real target man to play off consistently.

People talk a lot about Endrick not getting minutes, but let’s be real—Garcia hasn’t had much of a shot either. He’s only played 365 minutes this season, which is barely over four games’ worth. Alonso should be thinking about giving him more time.

There’s also the option of going back to what worked in 23/24: the hybrid front three with Vinicius, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo. For most of that season, Bellingham played as a number ten, with Vinicius and Rodrygo splitting striker duties in a diamond setup. Sometimes Bellingham shifted into a false nine role, with the Brazilians pushing wide and delivering balls into the box. The whole thing was super fluid, and it worked—both for the team and for the players themselves.

Sure, Alonso wasn’t in charge back then, and Mbappe wasn’t at the club. But you can bet Alonso knows how well that system performed. It’s got to be on his mind right now.

Then there’s the long shot: shifting Vinicius to a central position. Even though he’s been a left winger since Mbappe showed up, he’s drifted inside plenty of times. Under Ancelotti, he played more centrally, too, so maybe that’s an option over the next few weeks.

If Vinicius plays in the middle, Rodrygo can take his favoured spot on the left—even though he’s been doing well on the right lately. With Brahim Diaz away at AFCON, Franco Mastantuono could slot in on the right.

Or, you could flip it: Rodrygo has played as a central striker for club and country before. Move him to the middle, Vinicius on the left, and see what happens.

If you’re ranking options for Madrid right now, here’s how it shakes out: 1) Garcia up front, 2) Bellingham as a false nine with split strikers, 3) Vinicius as a false nine, 4) Rodrygo as a false nine.