Carlo Ancelotti loses another key Real Madrid player to injury ahead of Manchester City clash
Carlo Ancelotti is preparing his team for the upcoming UEFA Champions League playoffs against Manchester City, but he has been dealt another significant setback. A key Real Madrid player will be sidelined for the crucial game due to injury.
One of the recent blows to Real Madrid came when Antonio Rudiger picked up a hamstring injury against Espanyol over the weekend. The star center-back will miss both the Atletico Madrid derby and the first leg against City. Now, Ancelotti has received more bad news as another defender faces time on the sidelines.
On Tuesday, Real Madrid confirmed that David Alaba had suffered an injury to the adductor of his left leg. “After the tests conducted on our player David Alaba by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the adductor of his left leg. Pending further evaluation,” wrote Real Madrid on Tuesday’s statement.
Alaba’s injury is another massive blow for Real Madrid, already struggling with limited options in defense. Losing the Austrian international further strains an already depleted squad. Although no official recovery date has been given, reports suggest he will be out for 2 to 3 weeks, meaning he will miss not only the Atletico Madrid derby but also the first leg against Manchester City, making his return for the second leg on February 19th highly unlikely.
Real Madrid faces a challenging February, starting with a derby against Atletico Madrid on the 8th. They will then play Manchester City in the Champions League playoffs on February 11th and 19th. The absence of both Alaba and Rudiger will make these matches even more difficult for Los Blancos, who are currently leading La Liga and looking to defend their Champions League title.
Ancelotti on the lack of options in central defense
Despite the ongoing injury crisis in defense, with Dani Carvajal and Eder Militão already sidelined for the season, Real Madrid has not reinforced the defensive positions in the transfer market. With Alaba’s injury, Carlo Ancelotti was asked about the team’s options in a press conference.
“Unfortunately, we’ve lost two important players. Alaba was ready to play. He was going to play tomorrow because he was feeling good. What happened wasn’t something we had anticipated, just like with Rudiger,” Ancelotti reflected on the situation.
The Italian coach also discussed the options available to him for the upcoming matches: “These are emergency moments. We have to hold on with what we have. We have Jacobo Ramon, who has been injured for a long time but can contribute.” With Alaba and Rudiger out, Ancelotti will have to rely on younger players like Raul Asencio (21) or Jacobo Ramon (20), or potentially shift Aurelien Tchouameni into a central defensive role.