Raul is not assured of a place in Real's new look team and the club's other strikers are also playing for their places.
Madrid legend will have to fight for his place
Raul is not assured of a place in Real Madrid's new look team and the club's other strikers are also playing for their places at the Bernabeu, according to Miguel Pardeza.
Los Merengues' sporting director believes that the team captain cannot, and will not, expect any preferential treatment from coach Manuel Pellegrini.
Despite being a crowd favourite, Raul will have to earn his place in the team and compete with the numerous forwards now vying to be part of the team.
"If Raul has played up until now it is because he has deserved to," Pardeza told
Publico.
"He has had his ups and downs, but that is normal for any player that has been at Real Madrid for 16 years.
"This season he will be just another player and the coach will have to evaluate how he will fit in and what options he has. There will be no drama made of it."
Uncertain futures
Alvaro Negredo was re-signed from Almeria in June and could stay, but Pardez hinted that it would be preferable if the striker left, although he is unsure what will happen to Ruud van Nistelrooy.
"It would not be a problem if [Negredo] stays. But we have signed a player in that position and have some big names. If options are there then we will look at them," he continued.
"The doctors are optimistic [about Van Nistelrooy], but we are talking about an older player. It is difficult to know what will happen with him."
Real Madrid have already seen one youth team player leave as Javi Garcia has signed for Benfica and Pardeza admits that the club cannot keep every player that comes through the ranks.
Sales inevitable
"When you start a season you analyse the squad and there are players that you count on and others that you do not," he explained.
"Then there are other players whose positions are undecided and depending on how pre-season goes, you make a decision later on.
"Javi could have stayed here, but he realised that he was not going to play much and a move was the best thing for everyone.
"Once a player reaches the first team you cannot forget he is a youth team product, but he is another player and is open to the same conditions as everyone else."
