Due to Jude Bellingham being sidelined at the start of the season, Real Madrid plan to give Marcos Tostão significant playing time, even a starting spot.
Tostão is scheduled to travel to Madrid this weekend, or at the latest early next week, to begin settling into his new home, familiarize himself with the city, and adapt to the upcoming changes.
However, he will not be able to appear at Valdebebas until after August 14th, as that is when he turns 18 and becomes eligible to join the team. Other players will start training on August 4th, and it is not ruled out that he could make his official presentation at Valdebebas on the 14th, or at the latest by the 15th.
Real Madrid’s plan is to give him playing time in the initial games—even substantial minutes—to allow him to gradually adapt and develop through matches. For both the short and medium term, he is indeed regarded as a member of the starting lineup.
Bellingham will not return until after the international break on October 19th. His left shoulder surgery requires a three-month recovery period, meaning he will miss 10 games, approximately 100 days. The coaching staff intends to have Tostão play a key role during this period.
This is Plan A. As the games progress, he will become increasingly important, a process that will see him earn a spot in the starting lineup. Inevitably, he will move ahead of Rodrygo in the pecking order. The only question at mid-season will be which position Tostão will occupy.
The Club World Cup brings to mind a potential competition between Tostão and Arda Güler. If Real Madrid employs a flexible 4-2-3-1 formation—with midfielders dropping between center-backs and full-backs pushing high—the club will need to decide whether to field Güler or Tostão.
The team’s specific plans and strategies remain unclear, but their goal of making Tostão a starter for Real Madrid has reached a near-unanimous agreement within the club, both in the offices and meeting rooms.
