Endrick Felipe has had a decisive start to his Real Madrid career, despite having only played a handful of minutes. He scored on his La Liga debut against Real Valladolid on MD2, and repeated the feat against Stuttgart in midweek. His latest involvement came against Espanyol on Saturday, as he won a penalty that was converted by Kylian Mbappe.
Endrick is yet to start a match for Real Madrid, as Carlo Ancelotti opts to ease him in slowly. Diario AS director Tomas Roncero has warned the teenager to show patience, as his chance will come – it may be sooner rather than later, with Alaves on Tuesday tipped as a possible starting opportunity.
“Endrick has parachuted into the Bernabeu. I think he’s going to start on Tuesday, but I don’t dare say who he will replace. Ancelotti is showing the way just like Guler: you’re young, you’re very good, but this is Real Madrid. He tries to convey to Endrick that to play for Real Madrid you have to earn your place little by little, as with Guler. He wants the 15 minutes he gives him to make the most of them and to show all his talent because one day the opportunity will come.
“I think he will go further but he has to be patient or he will make a mistake, because he also has Mbappe ahead of him.”
Ancelotti has a habit of playing things safe with youngsters, and this was absolutely the case with Guler last season. Real Madrid will benefit in the long run, as Endrick will gradually continue to improve without the threat of development-stunting injuries.