A Spanish press report on Monday revealed the early signs of a crisis at Real Madrid that led to an immediate punishment against a young player.
According to "Marca", the early signs of a crisis have begun to loom on the horizon for Real Madrid Castilla, even if they may quickly pass.
The reserve side hit their first internal setback last week. A dispute broke out at Valdebebas between Jorge Cestero, one of the team's most prominent players, and head coach Julián López de Lerma, after Cestero was left out of the starting line-up against Sant Andreu.
The matter forced the club to step in. Once they had resolved it, they left the player out of the squad for the Alcorcón match.
López de Lerma made no secret of the technical decision, though he refused to reveal the reason for the absence.
"We are focused on developing the players," the coach said. "We want all the players to be able to show their abilities, to compete, and to be part of the team".
He also spelled out the value he places on the midfielder: "Jorge will be a very important player for us this season".
Understandably, the club decided the dispute would carry consequences. That much showed in the last match, a 1-2 defeat for Castilla to Alcorcón.
Resolved as it seems to be, the crisis leaves one question open: how long will the exclusion last? The Madrid derby arrives in a few days, and it is not yet clear whether Cestero will return to Julián's line-up.
Set the crisis aside and the player is having a great season, having already scored his first goal and established himself as a key figure at Real Madrid Castilla.
He also took part in pre-season with the first team under José Mourinho, where he stood out as one of the brightest academy players. He featured in all four friendlies before the campaign began.