Real Madrid forward’s future back under the spotlight after zero minutes vs Pachuca | OneFootball

Real Madrid went into Sunday night’s game against Pachuca without their main striker Kylian Mbappe as he continues to recover from gastroenteritis.

As such, it was largely expected that manager Xabi Alonso would field an unchanged attacking unit from the first game comprising Vinicius Jr., Gonzalo Garcia and Rodrygo Goes.

However, much to the surprise of many, the manager opted to bench Rodrygo, starting Arda Guler in place of him, with the move paying off as the Turkish ace scored a goal on the night.

Rodrygo’s continuity back in question

But the decision once again places the future of Rodrygo under the cloud of uncertainty, more so as the Brazilian did not get any minute on the field on Sunday, reports MARCA.

The 24-year-old forward’s future has been a subject of intense speculation for quite a while now after he ended the regular season on a disappointing note, losing his form and prominence in the team under Carlo Ancelotti.

Will he stay or leave? (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Things were expected to take a turn for the better once Alonso took over and there was optimism about his situation based on how he looked and performed in the training sessions.

However, after a rather dull display against Al-Hilal when he was a starter, Rodrygo did not even get a chance against Pachuca.

Even though Alonso used all his five substitutes, the former Santos wonderkid was not called upon while academy talent Victor Munoz got some minutes under his belt.

As such, it reignites the Rodrygo case, who now faces even more competition with the rise of Arda Guler, the expected arrival of Franco Mastantuono, and a tactical system in transition under a new manager.

Arsenal, for one, are eagerly waiting to swoop in for Rodrygo and it now remains to be seen how things unravel over the summer.