Real Madrid suffered a major blow in their 4-1 victory against Villarreal this Sunday in La Liga. Austrian defender David Alaba suffered a serious knee injury and will have to be sidelined for several months.
While attempting to counter Villarreal striker Gerard Moreno, Alaba was forced off the pitch in the first half due to his injury. Following medical examinations, he was diagnosed with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Real Madrid have confirmed that Alaba will have to undergo surgery in the coming days to repair his injury. The news adds to the club’s injury list, with goalkeepers Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao already affected by cruciate ligament injuries. Additionally, midfielder Eduardo Camavinga is also unavailable due to a ruptured knee ligament.
This spate of injuries leaves Real Madrid with just two healthy central defenders, Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez. Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who has just returned from injury, could be used by coach Carlo Ancelotti to strengthen the defense.
Ancelotti expressed his frustration at the team’s bad luck with injuries: “It’s a shame, it’s very sad, I’ve never had three cruciate ligament injuries in four months,” he said. he told reporters after Alaba’s injury. Despite these obstacles, Ancelotti is proud of the team’s response and believes they managed to do more than people expected.
In addition to defensive injury problems, Real Madrid also have to deal with the absence of star striker Vinicius Junior, who is out with a thigh injury. However, players such as Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo Goes and Brahim Diaz made up for his absence by scoring goals in the convincing win over Villarreal, alongside veteran Luka Modric.
For Real Madrid, it is now essential to carefully manage the injuries of their key players and find solutions to maintain their high level of performance. At the same time, they could also consider strengthening their squad in January in order to compensate for these prolonged absences and guarantee their competitiveness in all competitions.