REAL MADRID
Arda Güler returns to training with Real Madrid and could play against Sevilla
The Turkish midfielder is finalising his recovery and the club hope to have him back in contention for their game against Sevilla in LaLiga.
Arda Güler, 103 days after signing for Real Madrid and without having made his debut or even been included on an official squad list, is finally on the road to recovery.
‘Good things come to those who wait’ never meant more to a footballer and Güler has certainly been spoken about as having plenty of it: “He has shown that he has an extraordinary talent”, said Ancelotti; “he has a very, very good left foot”, said Kroos. Mesut Özil said “he will be a world star”, but while everyone talks about him, Güler hasn’t said a word.
Since his presentation we have not heard from the youngster, but there has also been no need for him to speak: “I want to be a legend like Cristiano, Özil or Guti”, he said when a microphone was placed under his chin. A man of few words, he knows what to say and when to say it.
Arda Güler grabs the attention of everybody
The huge hole that Güler’s silence has created has been filled with anticipation and excitement for his debut. His social media posts - and those of the club regarding Güler - have moved mountains in terms of the numbers and it will be no surprise to hear that he’s a popular topic with readers of AS, too. Güler has resonated with a lot of people; it’s not clear why and one day it will be studied, no doubt, but he attracts attention.
The expectation surrounding the player is in line with the attention he receives from the public and his debut is a hotly anticipated event, with the number of days we’ve all waited on him inversely proportional to the amount of time we waited for him to get on the stage during his presentation. It’s been over 100 days, but now there’s not long left.
When will Güler return to training?
Güler doesn’t feel any pain whatsoever and it’s expected that this week he can progressively be introduced back into the group. Last Wednesday he returned to the pitch to work alone, on Thursday he took part in some of the group session (the lightest of activities) and on Friday he was once again on the pitch alone.
He rested over the weekend and he can now be seen on the pitch from the viewing area, showing that things are going smoothly and as planned. On Tuesday 17, it will be exactly three months since he got injured for the first time.
Over the next few days, Güler will try and wave goodbye to his second injury since his arrival in the Spanish capital. The first one came in the USA, during a training session at UCLA: the timing is a mystery, with neither those close to the player nor the club able to define exactly when it occurred. Little by little the player began to notice a niggling pain in his right knee which ended in a damaged meniscus. His name on the squad lists for the games against AC Milan and Manchester United did nothing to fool the fans who saw the player wearing normal shoes and not boots ahead of a game.
Including him on the lists was a way of integrating the player rather than putting him up as an option to play. After that came the Clásico, when the pain got worse and the player flew back to Spain to recover fully.
What injury did Güler suffer?
Initially, Arda Güler didn’t go under the knife as part of his treatment, with all parties agreeing on a conservative approach, but in the final phase he was operated on to undergo a light cleanup job, a standard procedure. Güler was almost two moths out by this point, until 26 September, when he trained ahead of the game against Las Palmas with no issues. So much so that Ancelotti confirmed the news of his return in the pre-game press conference.
However, as the words fell out of the mouth of the Italian and were typed up across the world, Real Madrid were typing their own news: Güler was injured again. This time in his other leg, the issue took everyone by surprise, and meant that the player would spend three more weeks in the recovery room. Until now.
When will he play and make his debut for Real Madrid?
The exact date for Güler’s return is a mystery, but the club are not ruling out a debut at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán against Sevilla. If he feels OK in the final training sessions before the game, he will travel. In any case, he will only feature if it is determined that the chance of a relapse is zero. If the calendar gets stretched, then the game in the UEFA Champions League against Braga is next on the list, ahead of the August 28 LaLiga tie against, ahem, Barcelona, who have injury worries of their own.
Two injuries and 103 days later, it seems like Güler is ready and there really is a light at the end of the tunnel. “Many 18-year-old players think they’re already really good and reject advice, thinking that they don’t need it. He’s the complete opposite. How do you do that? he asks in training, with humility. He has that mentality, he wants to learn.” Toni Kroos’ words from his podcast are ones that excite, words that make you want to watch Güler perform in a white shirt. Well now it’s nearly time.
