Real Madrid are facing another injury crisis in their backline. After gradually being eased back into action over recent weeks, David Alaba has gone down with injury once again, following his lengthy recovery process from a serious knee injury. It could scarcely have come at a worse time for Carlo Ancelotti and Los Blancos.
The Austrian defender, 32, had been out for 13 months in total after two operations, addressing first his cruciate ligament and then his meniscus. However MD report that he is now set to return to the sidelines for a further two to three weeks out of action. Alaba has suffered a hamstring issue in training, leaving Ancelotti short of resources.
This will without doubt keep him out of the line-up for their Copa del Rey quarter-final against Leganes on Wednesday, the Madrid derby with Atletico Madrid on Saturday, their first leg play-off clash with Manchester City the following Tuesday, and their trip to El Sadar to face Osasuna again in La Liga. Alaba is a serious doubt for their return leg at the Bernabeu against City, and their home clash against Girona the same week too.
It leaves Real Madrid with only Jesus Vallejo, who has played just 10 minutes this season, and Raul Asencio as natural options. Aurelien Tchouameni is likely to continue featuring as a makeshift option in the middle of defence alongside Asencio, although in the past it has been suggested that Ferland Mendy could also be used in central defence.
German centre-back Antonio Rudiger, who joined Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal in the treatment room on Saturday, could be back in time for the return leg against Manchester City, but that remains a doubt. Relevo also note that while Real Madrid dressing are optimistic about his presence for the second leg, they fear that Rudiger could do himself further damage. Already he had been nursing discomfort for much of the season, featuring in almost every game, and rushing back from injury will increase his risk of a relapse.
