Carlo Ancelotti and assistant coach son Davide at odds over role of Real Madrid starlet Arda Guler

Ancelotti has grappled to get his men in rhythm after the retirement of midfield maestro Toni Kroos. Simultaneously, the arrival of Kylian Mbappe has created a need for tactical adjustments to include all of their Galacticos, including Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham. Despite these efforts, Los Blancos have yet to land on an ideal formula that gets the best out of their talent-rich squad.

According to Radio Marca, one of the focal points of this internal debate is Guler, who has shown flashes of his extraordinary potential but has yet to find consistency. Davide is eager to see Guler play a more prominent role and believes his skills deserve a starting spot in the lineup but the younger Ancelotti's enthusiasm for the player's inclusion is met with resistance from his father, as the manager remains unconvinced that the 19-year-old ready for the rigours of La Liga and Champions League for the entire 90 minutes. He is said to be concerned with Guler's occasional lack of impact and prefers to continue easing him into the team rather than rushing his promotion to the starting XI.

Ancelotti does have a point as Guler is yet to make a goal contribution after close to 300 minutes of action across all competitions this campaign. Nonetheless, the teenager is focused on establishing himself at the club and has already dismissed the idea of a loan move to get more playing time, demonstrating his desire to fight for his place at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The dilemma for Ancelotti extends beyond simply finding room for Guler. Including him in the starting lineup would inevitably mean sidelining one of Real Madrid’s established stars and given the attacking options at his disposal, including Mbappe, Vinicius, and Rodrygo, integrating Guler without disrupting the team’s balance presents a significant challenge. Los Blancos will be back in action on Saturday against Celta Vigo and it remains to be seen if Guler gets to start the match.