Ahead of their Champions League matchup with Manchester City, Real Madrid has suffered yet another serious injury setback.
The two European powerhouses, who did not automatically advance to the premier club competition’s round of 16, will play each other over two legs later this month.
Additionally, after losing another top player to injury, Carlo Ancelotti will start a makeshift backline.
Due to a left leg muscle injury, Austrian international David Alaba hobbled out of training on Monday and is now anticipated to miss two to three weeks.
He is a serious doubt for the February 19 return game in Madrid and will undoubtedly miss Tuesday’s first leg at the Etihad.
Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao are already out for Madrid due to severe knee injuries they sustained in late 2024.
A hamstring injury forced Antonio Rudiger to be substituted during Saturday’s 1-0 loss at Espanyol, and he is most likely going to miss both matches versus City.
At the core of his defense, Ancelotti is left with very few options. The seasoned Italian will probably need to rely on Aurelien Tchouameni and Raul Asencio, both 21 years old, to hold Erling Haaland and company at bay.
Although Tchouameni’s primary role is as a holding midfielder, he has occasionally moved into defense this season due to Madrid’s defensive crisis.
On Saturday, Madrid will play Atletico Madrid in a major derby.
With just one point separating the top two teams in La Liga right now, Madrid will also play Atletico Madrid in a crucial derby on Saturday.
City may benefit from Madrid’s troubles as they attempt to defeat the reigning champions and secure a spot in the round of 16.
City required a second-half comeback to defeat Club Brugge last week, and they nearly missed out on even advancing past the league stage of the Champions League.
However, they lost badly against Arsenal 5-1 on Sunday, and they are currently outside the top four of the Premier League.
As they get ready to face a well-known opponent, their attention will shift to the Champions League.
Their matchup with Madrid will be the two teams’ fourth encounter in as many seasons.
City crushed their Spanish rivals in 2022–2023 before winning the Treble, whereas Madrid eliminated City in 2021–2022 and last season.
