Real Madrid could hand Martin Odegaard his full Real Madrid debut on Wednesday against Almeria after Carlo Ancelotti named him in the full squad for the first time.
The 16-year-old has been called up alongside central defender Diego Llorente, 21, and 18-year-old striker Borja Mayoral and if, as expected against lowly Almeria, Ancelotti’s team is comfortably ahead in the game then Odegaard is expected to get his first minutes in front of an expectant Bernabeu.
The teenager, who will not turn 17 until December, has had a difficult time at Madrid since arriving in January for an original fee of £2m set to rise to closer to £6m.
The former Stromsgodset midfielder, who has already become a full Norwegian international, was drafted into Zinedine Zidane’s B-team with the aim of helping them win promotion from Spain’s third division to the second tier.
But his introduction into the team coincided with a run of four straight defeats as Castilla fell out of the promotion race.
The solution next season is likely to be a loan move to another La Liga club but for now he forms part of Real’s run-in as they prepare to take on Almeria.
He is joined in the squad by defender Llorente, and by striker Mayoral who has already scored 42 goals this season for Real Madrid’s under-19 team.
Ancelotti also revealed in his pre-match press appearance that the club would not decide about Javier Hernandez’ future until the end of the season. And that Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema were both on the verge of comebacks.
Hernandez has scored six goals in eight games so far this season including three in his last two appearances. It still seems unlikely that Real Madrid will retain the on-loan Manchester United forward, at the end of the season.
Bale, meanwhile is set to return for Saturday’s visit to Sevilla. Asked about Benzema, Ancelotti added: ‘He will return to training on Sunday and be able to go with the rest of the squad to Turin for the first leg against Juventus on Tuesday.’
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