Real Madrid are in the midst of a defensive injury crisis but only have hours left to make a signing before the closure of the January transfer window.
Real Madrid are reportedly determined not to change plans in the final day of the January transfer market despite Antonio Rudiger suffering an injury.
Los Blancos were beaten 1-0 by Espanyol on February 1 in La Liga, with Carlos Romero’s 85th-minute goal enough to condemn Carlo Ancelotti’s side to their first defeat in six games.
More concerning for the Italian manager than the defeat will be the injury suffered by Rudiger, who went down in the 15th minute with what Real say was “an injury to the biceps femoris in his right leg”.
The defender now joins Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal on the sidelines, with both set to miss the rest of the season due to serious knee injuries.
Rudiger’s injury has led to speculation that Real might explore the transfer market for additions before the deadline on February 3, but MARCA report that the club have no intention of strengthening in what remains of the window.
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Can Real win La Liga and the Champions League without signings?
Real are set to take on Manchester City in a Champions League playoff for a place in the round of 16, and given the English champions have struggled hugely themselves this season, Los Blancos should feel they can trouble Pep Guardiola’s side regardless of their own issues.
Fans might be more concerned about the team’s chances of winning La Liga, as while they are currently first with 49 points after 22 matchweeks, Atletico Madrid are in second place with 48 points and Barcelona are third with 45 points.
Perhaps Real are hoping that Rudiger’s injury can be mitigated by the return of David Alaba, who himself has returned from more than a year out.
However, the Austrian has only played 74 minutes across all competitions for Los Blancos this term, and it would undoubtedly be a risk to rely on the defender finding form and fitness in the coming months.
The likes of Aurelien Tchouameni may have to be utilised in defence, but the Frenchman is a natural midfielder, and his presence in the backline could prove costly in the latter stages of the Champions League.
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A busy summer ahead
There is a line of thinking that Real may not wish to make any major additions in the remaining hours of the window because they are anticipating being able to land a number of key targets in the summer.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been frequently linked with the Spanish giants and his Liverpool contract is set to expire at the end of the season.
Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah has also been touted as a potential target for Real, as has his current manager Xabi Alonso, who is considered a strong candidate to replace Ancelotti when his time at Los Blancos comes to an end.
With sizeable change expected to occur in the summer – both on and off the pitch – perhaps Real feel it would be better to address the long-term needs of the squad at the end of the season.
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