It has been a mammoth season for Real Madrid, and that has now started to take its toll on the first team squad. Their level has dropped in 2025, and for some players, the excessive number of matches has also led to worrying injury problems.
And the player most at risk is Antonio Rudiger, who had been forced to play almost every minute up until a few weeks ago because of long-term injuries to Eder Militao and David Alaba. He has been fortunate enough to get some well-earned rest in recent weeks, but as it turns out, that has done little to help the problems that he has been dealing with.
Throughout his career, Rudiger has suffered multiple major knee injuries. He suffered an ACL tear back in 2016, and three years later, he required surgery to fix another problem. And these issues have started to have a serious effect on him over the last few months.
As reported by Relevo, Rudiger – who is set to enter into contract negotiations with Real Madrid in the coming weeks – has been dealing with discomfort in his meniscus in recent months, and due to not having a sustained rest period, the problem has started to gradually get worse. He has been able to endure it up until now, but it is not ruled out that he is forced to undergo surgery to fix the issue.
Rudiger is expected to be a starter for Real Madrid’s crucial fixtures between now and the end of the season, which include two Clasicos against Barcelona in La Liga and the Copa del Rey final. But it would be no surprise to see Carlo Ancelotti, whose future is very much on the line, using the likes of Raul Asencio, Alaba and Aurelien Tchouameni as partnerships in matches that are deemed to be against easier opposition.
