Arda Guler's rise from Fenerbahce hotshot to potential Real Madrid superstar was swift but meteoric.
Several members of Europe's aristocracy took a keen interest in acquiring the crafty teenager this summer, with Barcelona seemingly leading the race for a while. But the allure of the Spanish capital was simply too much for Guler to resist in the end.
A reshuffle in attack means the Turkish international could quickly emerge as an established figure in Carlo Ancelotti's set-up which may well facilitate the deployment of a number 10 next season - as has already been seen in Jude Bellingham's unofficial debut.
Guler has supposedly lit up the training field since his arrival, but he didn't take to the field during the opening fixture of Real's US tour against Milan and his status for their upcoming bout against Manchester United is also in question.
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When are Real Madrid playing Man Utd in pre-season friendly?
Real were forced to come from two goals down to beat Milan in Pasadena on Sunday, and they are next in action on Wednesday evening against Erik ten Hag's Red Devils.
Kick-off is scheduled for 01:30 (BST) in the early hours of Thursday morning in the UK and will be played at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Why won't Arda Guler be playing against Man Utd?
Guler is believed to have missed Real's victory over Milan after feeling discomfort in his right leg leading up to the contest. However, his absence was said to be merely precautionary.
While there was initial expectation for Guler to make his Real Madrid bow against Man Utd, the Turkish hotshot was absent from training on Monday and it now looks unlikely for him to feature in Houston.
Supporters would love to see the teenager in action, but Real won't want to exacerbate a minor issue by rushing him back. Los Blancos still have games against Barcelona and Juventus scheduled this summer before they face Athletic Club in their La Liga opener on 12 August.
This article was originally published on 90min as Why Arda Guler isn't playing in Real Madrid vs Man Utd pre-season friendly.
