January 06, (THEWILL) – Arda Guler could finally make his long-awaited first appearance for Real Madrid during their Copa del Rey third-round clash with fourth-tier side Arandina on Saturday, manager Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed. The highly-rated 18-year-old Turkish midfielder arrived at the Bernabéu in the summer amid much fanfare but immediately required knee surgery, which has so far prevented Guler from making his Madrid bow.
After returning to full fitness and making the bench in Madrid’s last three games, Guler now looks poised to give fans a tantalising glimpse of his potential. Speaking ahead of the cup tie, Ancelotti stated “Guler will be available. [Starting] is an option.”
The Italian was however keen to highlight the dangers of complacency against lower league opposition, recalling last year’s narrow 1-0 victory over Cacereno in which several first-teamers including Camavinga, Militão and Rodrygo struggled.
The manager assured me he would “try to win because we are very interested in the competition” but accepted that “due to fatigue I will do some rotation.” Nevertheless, Ancelotti insisted his rotated side would remain ‘competitive’ and ‘focused’ against Arandina, who prop up Segunda Division B Group 2.
The manager noted that the historic Copa Del Rey has “given us a lot of happiness” in the past, and Los Blancos will be desperate to avoid any slip-ups as they bid to lift the trophy for the 20th time.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
