Marca: Rodrigo becomes Real Madrid s sixth pick, he must make a choice when the World Cup is approaching

Spanish Le Marca wrote an article analyzing Rodrigo's situation. The media said it is currently the player's "darkest moment" at Real Madrid and believes that the league against Oviedo this weekend will reveal his intra-squad role under Alonso.

Marca commented: If you believe in the principle of "status is better than words", then Xavi Alonso's speech after the Bernabeu vs. Osasuna seems unconvincing. When asked about Rodrigo's situation, the Real Madrid coach insisted: "Nothing happened. The Club World Cup is a special background, we can turn it over. The key is this season, and I still trust him. This is just a game, and there is no need to over-interpret his future. Today's adjustment is my decision on the spot. If the situation remains the same in three months, then it's a different matter."

Alonso's statement is one thing, but the data points in the opposite direction. In the seven official games coached by the new coach, Rodrigo only started once against Riyadh Crescent; in four games he did not get a minute of playing time, including the first round of La Liga against Osasuna. The Brazilian striker made only 93 minutes in a total of 630 minutes of game time, accounting for 14.7%. In Innsbruck's friendly match, he played and scored a goal in the last 30 minutes of the game, but did not celebrate. And in the closed warm-up match against Leganes, he did not make the start.

Real Madrid's first league game in the new season painted a bleak picture for Rodrigo. As expected, he failed to make the starting list and Alonso did not let him play as a substitute in the game. He was even called to warm up and returned to the bench to watch the game.

The White Legion No. 11 player witnessed Dias occupying the trident position he formed with Vinicius and Mbappe last season. Then, he saw Mastantono and Gonzalo replace Dias and Vinicius, but he never got playing time and became the team's sixth forward - the only player on the front line who has not made a appearance, even if Bellingham is absent.

In this situation, coupled with Alonso's statement, the second round of the league away against Oviedo on Sunday may provide many signals for Rodrigo's prospects, at least at the beginning of the season. What is certain is that if he wants to change the coach's view of himself, the task ahead is extremely arduous. If his role in the tactical system remains unchanged against Oviedo, Rodrigo will fall into a very subtle situation in the last week of the transfer window.

Because this season is unusual, it will be directly connected to the World Cup, which is the obsession of Brazilian players. Rodrigo is still in Ancelotti's plan, but he knows that he needs to play, get back his form, and more importantly, he needs to score goals. The competition for the national team is extremely fierce, so he must make a key choice. If he chooses to stay at Real Madrid, he must completely turn the status quo and become the key role that fans have never seen since January last year.

Rodrigo's last official match goal dates back to March 4, when he scored the winning goal in the first leg of the Champions League 8 final. Since then, both game performance, goals and competitive state have been in a stagnant position. The lowest point appeared in the King's Cup final: He performed poorly in the first half and was replaced by Mbappe in the half. Since then, he has been in a deep trough and has no choice but to extricate himself.

If Rodrigo decides to leave Real Madrid, the situation will be complicated. The transfer window has come to an end, and the club cannot sell this player with a low price of no less than 100 million euros in the eyes of Premier League teams. Bayern has sought a winger and has signed Louis Diaz. And Manchester City, the club that was associated with his future two years ago, shows no sign of action at the moment.

The last few hours before the transfer window closed on Monday, September 1, there are often heavy transfers or loan operations. Rodrigo will have more key information after Sunday's game. And no matter what, the World Cup is always approaching from afar - he has no way out.