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Later this weekend, Real Madrid lock horns with Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu in game week 26 of La Liga. It will be a special night blessed with football of the highest calibre, and will also mark Sergio Ramos’ return to the stadium he called home for years.
Ahead of the game, however, Carlo Ancelotti has significant injury concerns in his squad. Apart from the long-term injured trio of Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba and Eder Militao, he will be without the services of Jude Bellingham and Joselu on the night.
Further, Daniel Carvajal and Eduardo Camavinga will miss the clash through suspension.
Window of opportunity
According to reports from AS, the manager sees Arda Guler as a serious option to cover for the team’s deficiencies in the coming weeks.
The Turkish phenom is best placed as an attacking midfielder and thus provides Ancelotti with an option who can serve as an attacking option during difficult times.
With Joselu and Bellingham out, Guler could thus gain prominence as one of the manager’s forward options alongside Brahim Diaz, Vinicius Jr, and Rodrygo.
Ancelotti will give Guler more minutes in the upcoming fixtures, possibly from this weekend’s encounter against Sevilla. He is expected to start on the bench, but regular cameos could become a regular occurrence.
Loan on the horizon?
The long series of injuries Guler fought after his signing for Real Madrid made it an uphill battle for the Turkish protege at the Spanish club. He is indeed a prospect for the long-term, but Bellingham and Diaz’s rich form leaves him in a severe deficit for minutes.
As revealed earlier this month, Los Blancos do not rule out the option of sending the player on loan to further his development. AC Milan, Las Palmas, Real Sociedad and RCD Mallorca have all grown as strong candidates for the same.
It thus remains to be seen if Guler can turn his situation around in the few opportunities he receives in the coming games. In any case, one can remain assured that Real Madrid will retain control of his long-term future and will not make any concessions on that front.
