Carlo Ancelotti addressed the press ahead of Real Madrid’s home clash with Mallorca, marking the first match of their fresh La Liga campaign. Optimism ran high, bolstered by the return of several key players after injury woes.

“Vinícius, Carvajal and Arda [are back],” Ancelotti said. “[Eduardo] Camavinga and [Ferland] Mendy will be back next week. So the news is good… [Güler] is getting back to his level. If I can give him minutes tomorrow, I will,” Ancelotti said.

READ: Who is Arda Guler? The 18-year-old ‘Turkish Messi’ Wanted by Europe’s Biggest Clubs

Arda Güler, the young Turkish prodigy who’s been sidelined for months, particularly caught the attention.

“He’s finally back to his level,” Ancelotti affirmed. “We still haven’t seen him in action for Real Madrid, but health is the priority. There’s no rush, he has all the time in the world with us.”

With confidence high and key players returning, Real Madrid seem poised for a strong start to the new year. And if Ancelotti’s assessment is accurate, Güler’s debut could be the cherry on top, injecting youthful exuberance into the team’s already formidable attack.

The Turkish international has yet to make his debut due to a series of injury setbacks starting over the US pre-season tour.

The 18-year-old picked up two subsequent injuries both which came just before he was expected to start playing.

Real will be hoping Güler finally breaks into the team and gets a chance to prove himself.

Real take on Mallorca at home in La Liga in their first game of 2024 on Wednesday at 18:15 GMT. The Spanish giants head into the game as league leaders on 45 points – tied with Girona who are second on goal difference.