Real Madrid academy graduate aiming for a starting berth vs Real Betis | OneFootball

Real Madrid will resume their season after the mid-season break with a La Liga game against Real Betis on Sunday.

Los Blancos go into the game with a major concern as top scorer and key forward Kylian Mbappe, who is out with a ligament injury.

Gonzalo Garcia could start

Given the French superstar’s absence, Real Madrid academy graduate Gonzalo Garcia is aiming for a starting berth in the weekend clash against Real Betis, reports Alvaro Esteban.

With Mbappe unavailable and Endrick shipped out on loan to Lyon, the Spanish capital club are left with only Gonzalo as the natural centre-forward in the squad.

There is the possibility of utilising Rodrygo in the No. 9 role or opting for a 4-4-2 with Vinicius Jr. and his compatriot sharing the attacking responsibilities at the top.

Gunning for a start. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

But, Gonzalo has his sights set on earning the starting berth for the game against Betis this weekend.

The Real Madrid academy product excelled in the team during the FIFA Club World Cup, when Mbappe was unavailable due to illness.

Since the season started, however, the young forward has found minutes extremely hard to come by owing to the French superstar’s superlative form.

So far this term, the 21-year-old striker has played only 330 minutes, spread across 17 matches in all competitions.

But the upcoming match could prove to be the ideal opportunity for Gonzalo to remind everyone of his talent and show that he is deserving of more minutes in the second half of the season.