Eder Militao on returning from two ACL injuries in two years

On March 14, 2019, Real Madrid announced the signing of Brazilian center back Éder Militão on a six-year contract, paying a fee of €50m to Porto. After biding his time on the fringes of the first team under Zinedine Zidane, making 15 and 14 appearances in La Liga in 2019-20 and 2020-21, Militao would emerge as a vital figure under the tutelage of Carlo Ancelotti. The multifaceted defender successfully filled the void of Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos, who joined Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, and staked his claim as one of the best defenders in world football.

Partnering new arrival David Alaba in central defence, Militao thrived as Real Madrid reclaimed the league title from Atletico Madrid’s grasp whilst also getting their hands on yet another Champions League title. No longer a rotational option who was filling in whenever Ramos and Varane were injured, Militao was one of the first names on the team sheet, continuing his impressive performances throughout the 2022-23 season.

All signs pointed to him continuing his stellar displays and following in the footsteps of Marcelo, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Casemiro and becoming the next Brazilian legend at Real Madrid. However, in the opening match of the 2023-24 season against Athletic Club, Militao hyperextended his left knee and ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament. Alaba and starting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois would later join him on the treatment table with ACL injuries, but that didn’t stop Real from claiming yet another La Liga and Champions League double under Ancelotti.

Whilst he was expected to be absent for 10 months, Militao returned for the home stretch of the campaign after just over seven months on the sidelines, gradually being eased into the side and starting alongside Marquinhos in Brazil’s Copa America campaign. Although he missed the decisive penalty in their shootout loss to Uruguay, he nevertheless gave an impressive account of himself in the USA. He started the 2024-25 season off on the right foot, pairing up with Antonio Rudiger in central defence in a 2-0 win against Atalanta in the UEFA Supercup.

Alongside the veteran German defender, Militao showed signs of returning to his best, opening the scoring in the Madrid derby and showcasing his prodigious physicality and superb anticipation. However, on the 9th of November, the unthinkable happened. After just a half-hour played in a 4-0 win against Osasuna, Militao was stretchered off again with a knee injury. The diagnosis? A complete tear of the ACL in his right leg.

After an arduous recovery process and a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Militao was once again back to square one. The 27-year-old gradually worked his way back before making his return for the FIFA Club World Cup, remaining on the bench for their knockout round matches against Juventus and Borussia Dortmund before finally returning to action on the ninth of July.

With Paris Saint-Germain cruising to victory and ahead 3-0 in the semi-final, Xabi Alonso decided to sub Militao on for Raul Asencio in the 64th minute. Whilst he wasn’t able to inspire a comeback, he nevertheless emerged as one of Real’s few bright spots, registering three tackles and one interception, including one last-man tackle, racking up two shots (one on target), winning three out of three ground duels, and completing 10 out of 12 passes (one out of one long balls) and coming out on top in one out of three aerial duels.

Speaking to Football Espana after the match, Militao admitted, “The ACL injury was a very difficult time for me. I worked very hard to get to this moment, to receive these opportunities, and help the team one way or another. I’m happy to have helped them.”

Militao has already proven that he can be one of the best centre-backs in world football, but after back-to-back ACL injuries to both knees, can he prove that he has what it takes to stay fit over the course of a season? Both Alonso and Ancelotti will be certainly hoping that Militao’s injury woes are a thing of the past as he gears up for the 2025-26 season.