Real Madrid News
Real Madrid new signing suffers from discomfort in his leg, not in training
With Real Madrid now starting their third day of training in the United States of America, there appears to be a fitness concern in the camp.
Indeed, according to journalist Arancha Rodriguez, new signing Arda Guler is suffering from discomfort in his leg which has prohibited him from joining the rest of the group in training today.
The 18-year-old teenage prodigy arrived at Real Madrid from Fenerbahce earlier this month, with the club shelling out €20 million (plus €10 million in add-ons) for his signing.
Guler snubbed Barcelona to join Real Madrid and has been earning rave reviews for his performances in training sessions so far.
Indeed, previous reports have suggested that based on early impressions in pre-season, Los Blancos are very happy with his signing and consider the investment made in him as money well spent.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti also appears to have been very impressed with his new ward and spoke highly of the Turkish international recently, saying: “Güler is very talented, he is very young, I think the fans are going to enjoy this player.”
While impressing in pre-season training is certainly noteworthy, Ancelotti & co. will be looking forward to see how Guler performs in actual match situations in the upcoming friendly encounters.
But with the latest development surrounding the discomfort in his leg, the player and the staff will be hoping that it is nothing serious and that he recovers in time to face AC Milan on Sunday.
Apart from Guler, Alvaro Odriozola is also not in training today, with the out-of-favour defender said to be dealing with some overload, as per Mario Cortegana.
Bernardo Silva was one of Real Madrid’s headline signings last summer. The Portuguese midfielder arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City and appeared destined to become the creative successor to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the middle of the park.
Indeed, with the club having not signed a new central midfielder, many within Real Madrid saw the veteran star as a solution to the issue.
Manager Jose Mourinho made him a starter from the very beginning in pre-season, but not in his usual role on the right. Instead, he deployed his compatriot as a deep-lying playmaker in the midfield double pivot.
A change in circumstances
Silva failed to have the expected influence when operating in a deeper role in midfield in the chances he got.
Combined with the emergence of Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return to fitness, the Portuguese international has now lost his place in the starting line-up and dropped to the bench.
Bernardo’s situation became particularly striking against Villarreal this past Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu, when he did not play a single minute.
Limited opportunities under Mourinho
Bernardo has played six matches for Real Madrid, starting three and coming on as a substitute in another three.
He did not feature against Villarreal or Elche, while his only appearance in the last three matches was a little over 10 minutes against Atletico Madrid. He was not used regularly by the Portugal national team during the international break either.
Across Real Madrid’s eight La Liga fixtures, Silva has accumulated just 282 minutes of playing time.
The Champions League now presents another opportunity for the former Manchester City captain, who has yet to make his European debut for Real Madrid this season.
He missed the match against Inter Milan because he was still serving a suspension carried over from his time at the Etihad Stadium last season.
It remains to be seen whether Mourinho will give him an opportunity against AS Roma in the coming week.
For now, the midfielder’s reduced playing time suggests that the Portuguese coach has lost some of his faith in a player who arrived with high expectations after leaving Manchester City.
