Real Madrid News
Injury update: Real Madrid trio doubtful for Manchester City clash
Real Madrid are a hair’s breadth away from sealing the La Liga title. If Barcelona slip up, Los Blancos require only one win to be crowned champions.
With the domestic competition sealed, Real Madrid now turn their attention to the UEFA Champions League, where they lock horns with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side pulled off sensational comebacks against both PSG and Chelsea to earn a spot in the semifinals of the prestigious competition. However, the road ahead only gets tougher.
Pep Guardiola’s side are the losing finalists of last season and will look to make it all the way this time around. They are touted as the best team in Europe, and will hope to make life hell for the record winners.
All is not well at the Madrid camp with three days to go for the first leg. According to reports from Javier Herraez, David Alaba, Ferland Mendy, and Casemiro are all doubts about the game at the Etihad stadium.
Of the three players, Mendy is said to have the highest chance of playing on the night as he feels comparatively better. Yet, the Frenchman’s presence is no guarantee either.
As for Alaba, the Austrian will have an MRI scan tomorrow to decide his availability.
If the three players are deemed unavailable for the clash in England, Carlo Ancelotti will have some big decisions to make.
Alaba has been one of the most vital players for Real Madrid this season and has often single-handedly held the back-line together. Given City’s high and ruthless pressure, he will be sorely missed if not given the green light.
He is likely to be replaced by Nacho Fernandez, while Mendy’s absence would force one of Dani Carvajal or Marcelo to start at left-back. Yet, that is not as worrying as the Spaniard has covered well in his new position in recent games.
Meanwhile, Casemiro is expected to be replaced by one of Eduardo Camavinga or Federico Valverde on the night.
The current edition of the Real Madrid squad is full of young talents, who have shown remarkable potential in recent years.
Arda Guler is among the young players looking to make a mark in European football in the years to come.
The young Turk joined Real Madrid earlier this summer, rejecting many other European giants in the process.
Toni Kroos mentoring Guler at Real Madrid
Guler has not enjoyed the best of starts to his life at Santiago Bernabeu, as he is spending a brief time on the sidelines due to an injury.
However, Guler has not stopped working on his characteristics, as he looks to kickstart his Real Madrid career on a positive note.
To that end, the former Fenerbahce starlet is receiving some key support from one of Real Madrid’s midfield pillars in the form of Toni Kroos.
This is according to MARCA, which suggests that the German international is mentoring Guler in his early days at Santiago Bernabeu.
Kroos: huge ‘sponsor’ of Guler
The report highlights how Toni Kroos is a huge admirer of Arda Guler. The German had even heaped praise on the youngster from Turkey when he joined the club earlier in the summer.
Guler, therefore, is closely training with Kroos, whose years of experience, composure, and knowledge of football, could help the youngster grow at Santiago Bernabeu.
This fits in well with Carlo Ancelotti’s vision at Real Madrid, as the Italian boss wants youngsters to have room to grow, especially with guidance from some of the older guards in the team.
It is one of the key reasons Real Madrid wanted to stick to Kroos and Luka Modric, despite bringing in Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham in the summer.
Guler, therefore, has the stage set for him to start his Real Madrid career on a strong note. After impressing in training, the next step for the youngster is to make a promising debut, which is just around the corner.
