There are worries for one of the United States men’s national team’s group-stage opponents ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Real Madrid confirmed April 23 that Turkey star Arda Guler has suffered a hamstring injury that will keep him off the field for some time. He left April 21’s win over Alaves in the 58th minute after assisting Kylian Mbappe on the opening goal of a 2-0 win.
“After tests conducted on our player Arda Guler today by Real Madrid’s Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a muscle injury in the femoral biceps of the right leg,” a club statement read, adding that his recovery time would be “dependent on evaluation.”
Turkey is the group’s second-highest ranked team in the FIFA rankings after the U.S. and qualified for the tournament after March playoff wins over Romania and Kosovo. Guler set up the winner in the game against Romania and is one of the team’s most creative players.
Reports from Guler’s native country indicated he will miss four weeks of action, putting him back on the field in time for The Crescent-Stars’ pre-tournament friendly matches and their June 13 opener against Australia. That should give him plenty of time to be ready for the tournament and the June 25 group finale against the U.S. in Southern California.
But while Guler may be back fit, the injury still comes at a frustrating time for Turkey boss Vincenzo Montella and the fans who support the team.
Guler is in the best form of his life for Real Madrid, seeing consistent minutes from manager Alvaro Arbeloa and rewarding that faith with an assist against Alaves last time out and a double in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Bayern Munich.
Now, his domestic season is likely over. That is a blow to Real Madrid, which is hoping to close out its season strong despite elimination from the UEFA Champions League at the quarterfinal stage.
Real Madrid faces Real Betis on Friday, April 24, the first of three matches for Los Blancos on the road. That stretch concludes with a trip to meet current leaders FC Barcelona in a May 10 edition of El Clásico. Real Madrid currently is nine points off the top of the table with six matches left to play.
Real Madrid knows its chances to beat Barcelona to the title are slim. A win against Betis, however, would guarantee the title race would mathematically still be in play for that rivalry match and mean Madrid avoids the embarrassment of welcoming champion Barcelona to the field with a guard of honor.
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