Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid squad list to face Celtic
Real Madrid will begin the defence of their UEFA Champions League crown this Tuesday when they take on Scottish champions Celtic.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men will lock horns with the Bhoys away at Celtic Park as they look to get their journey in Group F off to a winning start.
Ahead of their trip to Glasgow, Los Blancos have released the official squad list for their Champions League opener on Tuesday night.
There are no surprise names on the list as the manager has stuck to his usual roster comprising Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin and Luis Lopes as the goalkeepers.
Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Ferland Mendy, Lucas Vazquez, Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao and Nacho Fernandez make up the defensive contingent. Vinicius Tobias, who has been registered in the Champions League squad, does not make the cut.
The usual suspects in midfield are all present as Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Ceballos, Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde will all fly to Scotland.
Karim Benzema, who was not pictured in training earlier today, is included, as is his backup, Mariano Diaz, even though he is not favoured by Ancelotti. Marco Asensio, Eden Hazard, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo make up the rest of the attacking unit that will travel.
Iker Bravo, who joined the club only this summer, has been registered for the Champions League but has not been called up for the Celtic clash.
Jesus Vallejo and Alvaro Odriozola miss out due to fitness issues.
📋✅ Our squad for the match 🆚 @CelticFC!#UCL pic.twitter.com/0lCcps93nE
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 4, 2022
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.
