Real Madrid sensation Arda Guler is close to making his debut for Los Blancos after a prolonged injury lay-off, according to reports from SPORT.
The 18-year-old wonderkid joined the European heavyweights in a €30 million deal from Turkish top-flight club Fenerbahce this summer.
The highly coveted youngster chose to join Madrid despite concrete interest from arch-rivals Barcelona, signing a six-year contract with the 14-time European champions.
However, he has yet to make his debut in the iconic white shirt of Madrid and is only just returning from a lengthy spell in the treatment room.
Guler underwent surgery to address issues with his internal meniscus in his right knee in August and was expected to miss approximately six weeks of action.
The arthroscopy procedure proved successful, but just as he was on the verge of returning to the fold, he encountered another setback – a muscle injury in the rectus femoris of his left leg.
Guler required an additional three weeks to fully recover from the setback but is now expected to rejoin his teammates in first-team training after the international break.
The Turkish prodigy has been undergoing individual training, and there is growing optimism that he will soon receive medical clearance to become available for Carlo Ancelotti’s selection.
Guler is expected to rejoin team training, and if everything goes according to script, the highly-rated youngster could make his Madrid debut in the highly anticipated El Clasico showdown on October 28.
Once Guler regains full fitness, he is poised to intensify competition within Madrid’s midfield – although he will struggle to earn a place in the first team, especially with Jude Bellingham making waves.
The England international has been in record-breaking form for Los Blancos, bagging ten goals and three assists in ten games across all competitions.
However, Guler’s versatility means that Ancelotti could also deploy him as an attacker, providing an alternative to Rodrygo, who has endured a slow start to the season by his standards.
