REAL MADRID star Brahim Diaz has decided to switch his international allegiance from Spain to Morocco.
The winger returned to Real in the summer following a two-year loan spell at AC Milan.
He has not been first-choice under Carlo Ancelotti but that could be about to change following the injury to Vinicius Jr.
However Los Blancos could now be set to lose Diaz for a large chunk of the season.
That is because he has decided to represent Morocco, who he qualifies to play for through his father, report Marca.
Diaz has one Spain cap but rules allow players to switch national allegiance if they have fewer than three caps – as long as their appearances did not come in the World Cup.
READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
And if Morocco call up Diaz, he could miss several Real Madrid matches due to the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.
The tournament takes place between January 13 – February 11 2024.
So if Morocco get to the final Diaz will miss five games, and potentially more as he may need time to recover.
Real play rivals Atletico Madrid in that period, the only team to beat them so far this season.
Most read in Football
FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS AND BONUSES NEW CUSTOMERS
However the LaLiga leaders have coped well in the absence of key players like Vinicius and Eder Militao this season.
That is thanks in part to the form of Jude Bellingham, who has scored ten goals in ten games since arriving in the summer.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk