Real Madrid starlet Martin Odegaard breaks metatarsal while playing on loan at Dutch side Heerenveen

Real Madrid starlet Martin Odegaard has been ruled out for the rest of the season after he broke a metatarsal while out on loan at Dutch outfit Heerenveen.

The 19-year-old has been at the Eredivisie club since January 2017, contributing two goals and two assists in 26 appearances this season.

Odegaard is due back at the Bernabeu this summer, but it remains to be seen whether Los Blancos will hand him a second chance after failing to live up to his potential so far.

His chances of returning to the fray in the Spanish capital have now taken a significant setback after he broke a bone in his foot during Heerenveen's 2-1 win over Heracles on Sunday.

The Spanish club remain hopeful Odegaard is back on course to justify the financial effort they made to bring him to Spain back in 2015.

Real Madrid paid almost £3m to sign him from Stromsgodset in January 2015 and handed him a huge deal worth £80,000 per week.

El Mundo revealed his contract include a payment of €50,000 (£44,000) for every game that he played and there was a €10m (£8.7m) signing-on fee.

Odegaard was training occasionally with the first team – because his contract demanded it – but the Norwegian was largely stuck in Spain’s regional third division playing for Castilla.

He played 62 games for Madrid’s B-team and scored just five goals. There was some resentment from team-mates when he disappeared to train with the first team during the week and former Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti wrote in his book: ‘It was a PR signing. I did not ask for it.’

Madrid are said to be monitoring his progress and want him back so that he can link up with £40million Brazilian 17-year-old Vinicius Juinor, who is also on loan with Flamengo and also due back at the end of this season.