Real Madrid’s troubles keep getting worse before their Champions League Round of 16 match against Manchester City. A new player has picked up an injury, as the club confirmed in an official statement.
The Spanish giants will play at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, 11 February, in the first leg of their knockout tie. They already have serious injury problems in defence.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side will try to get a good result and avoid too much damage against City. Austrian defender David Alaba is now out with an injury, adding to their problems.
Real Madrid’s suffering continues before facing Manchester City
Real Madrid announced on Tuesday that Alaba hurt a muscle in his left leg. They did not say how long he will be out. Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo reported that he could miss two to three weeks.
The 32-year-old now joins Madrid’s growing injury list in defence. Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao are out for the season. Antonio Rudiger also got injured earlier this week.
Real Madrid has only one central defender
This leaves Ancelotti with just one fit centre-back, the young Spaniard Raul Asensio. The coach now faces a tough decision on how to stop Manchester City’s dangerous attack.
Madrid have had bad luck with injuries in just a few days. Rudiger got injured last Saturday when they lost to Espanyol in La Liga. Then, on Tuesday, Alaba got hurt again.
Despite these issues, Madrid did not sign any new defenders in the January transfer window. Club president Florentino Perez decided to finish the season with the same squad.
How will Ancelotti solve the problem?
Ancelotti’s best option is to pair Asensio with Aurelien Tchouameni in central defence. The French midfielder has played in defence a few times this season and done well.
Another option is moving left-back Ferland Mendy into the centre to play alongside Asensio. This could happen if Ancelotti wants Tchouameni to stay in midfield.
Madrid fans will be disappointed as Rudiger and Alaba will also miss the second leg. That game is set for Wednesday, 19 February, at the Santiago Bernabéu.
