Real Madrid are aiming to see off Manchester City in the second leg of their Champions League play-off round tie on Wednesday, and all they need to do is avoid defeat to book their place in the last 16 of the competition, given that they won 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium last Tuesday. And to make matters even more promising for Los Blancos, they will be able to call upon the services of Antonio Rudiger.
Rudiger suffered a hamstring injury during Real Madrid’s 1-0 defeat to Espanyol two weeks ago, and that caused him to be unavailable ever since. However, Carlo Ancelotti confirmed during his pre-match press conference that the German defender is back, and he can even be relied upon from the start at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Despite this, Relevo have reported that there are some people at Real Madrid that are concerned about Rudiger’s physical situation. Specifically, there are fears that the hamstring that he injured against Espanyol could break down.
It is worth noting that Real Madrid have been concerned about Rudiger’s physical condition for much of the season – this is due to the fact that he has been forced to play almost every match because of the injuries to fellow central defenders Eder Militao and David Alaba, who have suffered three anterior cruciate ligament ruptures between them in the last 18 months.
Rudiger has been managing knee discomfort throughout the season, although up until now, he has managed to avoid missing any matches because of this issue. He has been afforded the opportunity to rest in the last couple of weeks, although he is bound to go back to being an undisputed starter since he is back at the disposal of Ancelotti.
Alaba is also back in contention for Real Madrid, and he is someone that can lighten Rudiger’s load. However, there will be doubts about this happening during a crucial period in the season.
