Real Madrid News
Ancelotti in a tight spot as Real Madrid face the risk of forfeiture vs Mallorca amid injury woes
After suffering yet another defeat at the hands of Barcelona, Real Madrid will be looking to return to winning ways as they take on Mallorca tonight.
However, Real Madrid approach this game with a slew of injuries and an unusually thin squad, which leave Carlo Ancelotti in a tricky situation.
Indeed, with nine first-team players out injured and Aurelien Tchouameni suspended, the Italian coach has had to call up several youth players just to complete the matchday squad.
Of the 21 players Ancelotti has summoned for the game, only 12 belong to the first team. Two of them are goalkeepers, with Andriy Lunin also being ruled out due to a fresh injury.
In any case, this leaves just 10 outfield players from the senior side available of which now Brahim Diaz has also been ruled out.
Real Madrid must have seven first-team players
According to MARCA, it will be imperative for Real Madrid to have at least seven players belonging to the first-team if they are to avoid a match suspension.
That is according to the rules set by the Spanish Football Federation, requiring each top-flight club to field and maintain at least seven players from their registered first-team squad on the pitch throughout the match.
If that number drops below seven at any point – due to injury, red cards, or substitutions – the game could be forfeited or result in disciplinary action, as teams are not allowed to make up the difference with youth players.
Moreover, the same rules restrict the number of youth or reserve team players allowed on the field at the same time to a maximum of four, except in exceptional cases involving government orders or state emergencies.
This puts Ancelotti in a tight spot. With so few senior players available, every substitution will need to be carefully calculated to avoid breaking the seven-player rule.
According to TeamTalk, Real Madrid have joined the growing list of clubs monitoring Gabriel Rajkovic, a 15-year-old winger whose rapid development at Valerenga has already attracted attention from several of Europe’s leading sides.
The Merengues are known for keeping an eye on exciting young talent across the globe and it seems that Rajkovic’s exploits in Norway, with the first team, have alerted them.
Real Madrid keeping tabs on Rajkovic
As per the report, Real Madrid are among a host of clubs closely following the progress of the young forward.
Rajkovic holds both Norwegian and Serbian nationality and has emerged as one of the most promising young players in Norway.
His development has not gone unnoticed, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also understood to be monitoring him.
However, at this point, it is Arsenal and Chelsea, who are understood to be leading the charge for Rajkovic, having compiled a detailed dossier on the teenage prodigy after extensive scouting.
On top of that, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all watched Rajkovic in recent weeks.
Real Madrid could therefore face significant competition if they decide to step up their interest in a player who has already made an impression at senior level.
Making an impact at just 15
Rajkovic was handed a promotion to the Valerenga first-team squad in January earlier this year, when he was only 14 years old.
Following that, he signed a new contract with the club in March, when he turned 15, committing to the club until 2028.
Despite being only 15, the winger has already begun gaining experience in first-team football. In all, he has made 14 senior appearances for the Norwegian outfit, scoring three and assisting one goal.
Rajkovic has also represented Norway Under-16s, making two appearances and scoring once despite being younger than many of his teammates.
Those numbers become more impressive when his age and stage of development are taken into account.
Real Madrid have built a reputation for identifying young talent well before players reach their peak, and Rajkovic has now emerged as another name on their scouting radar.
But given the number of clubs in the race, signing the teenage wonderkid will not be easy.
