Real Madrid News
Real Madrid teenage wonderkid likely to be out for two months due to knee injury
The hype around Arda Guler after his arrival at Real Madrid was special.
The Turkish star was said to be stunning the management with his quality in training and was said to have a good chance of starting under Carlo Ancelotti.
Last week, however, Real Madrid confirmed that their latest recruit had suffered an injury to the internal meniscus of his right knee and after much deliberation, Los Blancos decided it was best for him to continue his recovery in Spain.
Guler is now back in Madrid to continue his recovery, and AS provides an update on his condition. According to the Spanish outlet, the young phenom will face around two months out of action.
A long wait for his debut
Guler had been catching the eye in training before the flight to the USA, but did not train much once Real Madrid landed there due to discomfort in his leg.
The 18-year-old prodigy missed the matches against AC Milan and Manchester United before the club decided to send him back to Spain.
As a result, he also did not feature against Barcelona and will not be playing against Juventus.
Furthermore, Guler will be unable to feature in the first part of the league season.
He is expected to miss crucial games including those against Athletic Club, Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid, and could return in time to face Girona in the first week of October.
All eyes on Bellingham
Carlo Ancelotti saw Guler as an option to play in a similar niche as Jude Bellingham – the attacking midfield.
With the Turkish star ruled out for a long time, the former Borussia Dortmund player can look to capitalise on the situation and engrave his name in the manager’s starting lineup.
He has made a very strong impression in his three pres-eason games so far and even scored a stunning goal against Manchester United last week.
For Guler, the wait till October will be long. One hopes that he remains mentally strong and comes back with renewed motivation once he is fully fit again.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid midfielder uses the international break as a ‘pre-season’ to regain fitness and rhythm
According to AS, Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni has fully capitalised on the extended international break to regain his fitness and rhythm.
The French midfielder has been using the past two weeks to have the ‘pre-season’ he did not get during the summer with an injury.
There is still a third week to come, the one that is beginning now, and it will be the week when he gets the green light to complete his conditioning. But the signs have been excellent. In short, everything is going according to plan.
Tchouameni played in the derby against Atletico Madrid without being at his physical and sporting best. He was fully recovered from his injury, but lacked match rhythm.
After staying in Madrid during the international break, he has worked hard on what was missing. Now he is ready.
A key player for Mourinho
Tchouameni is a key player for the coaching staff, the player who is expected to provide stability to the team. He is important in the build-up and, above all, provides defensive strength.
That is inevitably a concern: Real Madrid have conceded nine goals in eight matches. The problem became bigger in the last two games as the Merengues let in two against Elche and two in the derby.
Tchouameni played in both the matches, but it was clear that he was short of training and needed more minutes.
And, France manager Zinedine Zidane decided to not call him up so that he can work on those things while staying back in Madrid.
A lot of hard work
These have been weeks of a heavy physical workload for Tchouameni with very few days off. While many of his teammates have been able to enjoy some time away, he has understood that these three weeks are about making up for lost time.
It is the specific preparation he could not do in the summer because of the injury he carried from the World Cup.
Inside Valdebebas, the message is that he has spent “hours and hours” working – many in the gym, many out on the pitch, combining sessions with his team-mates with individual, personalised work.
The focus has been on getting his physical condition back to where it needs to be.
Centre-back crisis
In the short term, the situation is serious. Villarreal are next for Real Madrid, and everything suggests that Tchouameni will start, possibly at centre-back.
Eder Militao is already working on the pitch but will not return until at least November. Dean Huijsen is suspended after being sent off in the derby, while Raul Asencio has just undergone surgery and will be out for at least three months.
And, Ibrahima Konate is being handled with caution after returning from the France camp with an injury.
Given the situation, Mourinho will have to choose between Tchouameni and a youth-team player such as Oscar Naasei, Joan Martínez or Mario Rivas to partner Antonio Rudiger.
That decision will come later. For now, Tchouameni is about making the most of the present. by going to Valdebebas, pushing himself, recovering his fitness, his confidence and his rhythm.
