Search for Schuster replacementCould it be Rijkaard?

Real Madrid are considering making a move to tempt Frank Rijkaard to replace Bernd Schuster in January, if the club's form in all competitions does not improve, according to a report.

The Spanish champions will give their German coach another two months to turn things around, but the board is becoming frustrated with the displays and reports of unrest in training, according to Barça-biased daily Sport.

Rijkaard is top of Los Merengues' list of would-be replacements in January as he would immediately command the respect of the squad, including the five Dutch players on the staff.

Schuster oversaw the club's domestic title last term, but Ramón Calderón and several directors do not believe that any improvement has been made and that the team is struggling this term.

Back-to-back defeats by Juventus also left question marks about the coach's ability to lead the club to the latter rounds of the Champions League.

Another factor is Schuster's right-hand man, Manolo Ruiz, who Sport claim is unpopular with the players as he is a harsh critic of their performances and his training methods do not all go down well.

While Madrid may yet consider replacing their trainer, as has been mooted in the Madrid-biased media too, Rijkaard would probably not accept the post and would not be welcome by the club's hardliners.

The most likely destination for the Dutch trainer is AC Milan next summer, while Schuster's future could also be decided at the end of the season rather than midway through this term.