Rodrygo Goes missing for Real Madrid and Castilla
The talented Brazilian cost 40 million euros in the summer but he has found himself in non-playing limbo at Real Madrid, which wasn't the plan.
Rodrygo cost Real Madrid 40 million euros in the summer but this Sunday he is watching football on the television. The young Brazilian is not injured, yet is not featuring for his club's first team, nor the second string, Castilla.
Madrid's 'in limbo' Rodrygo
On Saturday Raúl's 'B' side travelled to the Canary Islands, and was left out of the squad because Zinedine Zidane had not yet decided the list of players he wanted for the trip to the Pizjuán. In the end, the French coach chose not to call on him for the testing game against Sevilla. The result of this is a talented 18-year old getting no pitch time over the weekend. Some would argue wasteful planning.
**Follow Sevilla vs Real Madrid live**
The lad has found himself in a strange limbo since the start of the season, caught between the two teams but finding himself out of both too often. Gaining experience with Castilla was part of the plan, but Zidane has called him up for both the league game against Levante and the Champions League debacle in Paris. He is still to make his debut. He was aware when he signed that he would train with the first team and play with the second. Not playing at all did not form part of his plans.
There is clearly competition in the first team and Rodrygo had expected to alternate with Brahim as the talented youngsters developed towards their future place with Los Blancos. Ahead of the Sevilla trip, both were left behind.
January's transfer window is some distance away and, of course, it is still very early in the season to be making any rash decisions. But the Brazilian will have seen another Madrid new boy, Kubo, notch three games under his belt already in the Spanish top flight, on loan to Mallorca. From his likely position on the sofa this evening, that option may be looked at with envy...