When will Turkish wonderkid Arda Guler finally make his Real Madrid debut? The teenage prodigy, who some have even said has more potential than Lionel Messi, is back in full training with Los Blancos, having recovered from knee and thigh injuries.
However, he was not named to the match day squad for the score draw with Sevilla yesterday, and we won’t see the name Arda Guler on the team sheet Tuesday night when Madrid visits Braga for a Champions League group stage clash.
Real Madrid at Braga FYIs
Kickoff: Tue. Oct. 24, 8 pm, Estadio Municipal de Braga
Competition: UEFA Champions League Group C Matchday 3 of 6
Real Madrid Preview Content: Starting XI Prediction Team News
Fun Fact: Real Madrid is the 11th most searched sports brand (#1 for the soccer) in the USA: go here for more
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
UCL Form, Standings: Real Madrid WW, 1st 6 pts Braga WL, 3rd, 3 pts
Google Result Probability: Real Madrid 65% Draw 19% Braga 16%
According to multiple reports, the club has a special training and conditioning program in place for him, and this situation leaves him a couple of weeks away from debuting. So we’ll probably see him, for the first time in a Madrid shirt, sometime in early to mid-November.
Rest of the Team News for Both Sides
David Alaba is back fit, and he was in the first team yesterday. However, he was the goat (not to be confused with the G.O.A.T.) of the match as he provided an own goal for Sevilla.
This leaves Thibaut Courtois and Éder Militão, the long-term injury absentees, as the only other confirmed unavailable players for Real Madrid.
Shifting gears to Braga, Víctor Gómez and Ricardo Horta are both doubts
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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