Real Madrid’s Arda Güler to return home after suffering knee injury on US tour
Real Madrid confirmed that the Turkish player has suffer a meniscus injury and will fly back to Spain in the next few hours to continue conservative treatment.
After a week of physical problems in which he was unable to train with his teammates at UCLA’s campus, Real Madrid confirmed this afternoon that Arda Güler has suffered an injury to the internal meniscus of his right knee. The club reports that the 18-year-old Turkish player will fly back to Madrid in the next few hours to continue with specific, conservative treatment - hopefully without the need to undergo surgery.
Surgery has been ruled out for now and it is hoped that the player will make a full recovery, although no timeframe has been mentioned or estimated date for his return. It means that Arda won’t make his first team debut during the current US tour nor will he be available for the first LaLiga game of 2023/24, against Athletic Club in Bilbao on 12 August.
It was expected that Güler would make his first appearance for Madrid on Wednesday in Orlando. That’s when Real Madrid will conclude their tour of the US, against Juventus en el Camping World stadium. Carlo Ancelotti revealed that was the plan in his pre-Clásico press conference, giving reporters an update on the player’s muscular issues, “Arda will train a little more than he did yesterday. He felt good and today, he will step up the intensity”.
During the session, Arda was seeing sprinting and working with the ball. If all went well, he would make his debut in next week’s Soccer Champions Tour. But things took a turn for the worse on Friday. Güler felt a twinge as he was taken through he recovery program and gestured to Madrid’s medical team.. Tests conducted this weekend convinced staff that it would be better for the player to return to Spain and focus on his rehabilitation. A blow for the teenager, who had missed the friendlies against AC Milan, United and now El Clásico against Barcelona.
Madrid’s training staff were dealing with Güler with a great deal of patience, taking care of his recovery in fine detail and meticulously calculating when he might be able to return to the pitch and helping him adapt to the physical needs of playing for a team like Real Madrid. The current Madrid side plays a very quick-breaking, attacking style of football, which requires high levels of fitness and strength. For that reason, the club designed a training regime that would aid him build and tone muscle without it impacting in a negative way on his agility and pace. Rodrygo was taken through a similar development course when he first arrived. Coaching staff were delighted with the initial efforts of the Turkish player in Valdebebas and also with the work he had been doing at UCLA until he suffered a muscular problem affecting his right leg on the eve of the Milan game.
Real Madrid’s medical department have nor given any details about how serious the injury is and, as always, have not given a recovery time. All that has come out of the club is that Arda will return to Madrid to begin work on his recovery. There, staff will be able to examine him in depth and treat his muscular and knee issues. How he progresses will determine when he will be available to Ancelotti. It’s an unexpected setback for the promising young player, who joined Madrid from Fenerbahçe this summer on a deal worth 20 million euros plus another 10 million in performance-related bonuses.
Güler published a post, detailing his situation, in Spanish, English and Turkish on social media: “I would like to be on the field with my team mates, but I am returning to Madrid to boost my recovery and be ready as soon as possible. Thanks for your support! Hala Madrid!”.