Real Madrid’s Arda Guler Managing Workload Ahead of La Liga Clash
Real Madrid celebrated a strong victory over Barcelona, providing manager Jose Mourinho with several positives to consider moving forward. One of the standout players this season has been Arda Guler, whose growing impact in midfield has become increasingly evident.
During Sunday’s Clasico win, the Turkish international established himself as one of Mourinho’s reliable players. However, Guler’s absence from Wednesday’s group training session raised some eyebrows. Journalist Alvaro Esteban reported that Guler trained indoors at Valdebebas due to a muscular overload. Fortunately, the issue is not deemed serious enough to impact his participation in Sunday’s La Liga match against Racing Santander.
Arda Guler’s Workload Carefully Managed After Clasico
The 21-year-old opted for an individual gym session instead of joining his teammates for outdoor practice. Captain Fede Valverde, who also experienced discomfort during the Barcelona match, also trained indoors, while Raul Asencio worked out individually on the pitch. Guler’s decision to train alone serves as a precautionary measure, aiming to manage his fitness after the demanding Clasico.
Interestingly, this match marked the first occasion this season that Guler played the full 90 minutes for Real Madrid. He had a notable game, creating challenges for Barcelona’s defense and contributing to the sequence that led to Kylian Mbappe’s late goal.
Mourinho Faces Strategic Decisions Ahead
Guler’s increased role represents a significant positive change under Mourinho. The midfielder has developed excellent synergy with Mbappe, utilizing his skills to receive passes in tight spaces and facilitate forward plays, thus adding a creative aspect to Madrid’s attack.
As the team navigates a busy schedule, Mourinho must consider how to balance Guler’s playing time. After facing Racing Santander, Real Madrid will travel to Greece for a challenging Champions League match against AEK Athens. Even if Guler is fit, Mourinho may opt to rotate his squad, keeping Guler fresh for crucial fixtures. The exact role Guler will play in the upcoming game against Racing remains to be seen.
