Latest news with #Alaba
New York Times
03-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Real Madrid's entire back four is injured. How should they line up? And who could they sign in summer?
On Tuesday, Real Madrid issued statements announcing injuries to three of their established defenders. First was Antonio Rudiger, with the centre-back suffering a right meniscus tear and undergoing surgery that means he will be out for around six weeks — coinciding with a six-game ban he then received for throwing an object at the referee following Madrid's 3-2 Copa del Rey final defeat to Barcelona at the weekend. Advertisement Left-back Ferland Mendy was next — the Frenchman will be out for the rest of the season, including the revamped Club World Cup in the United States, having ruptured his right quadriceps. And finally, there was David Alaba, the Austria defender who had only just returned from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury but will now be out for a similar length of time to Rudiger after rupturing the internal meniscus in his left knee. That means all of Carlo Ancelotti's first-choice back four — Dani Carvajal, Rudiger, Eder Militao and Mendy — are now sidelined in what has been a torrid season for Madrid. They are out of the Champions League and lost that Copa final but are still just four points behind Barcelona at the top of La Liga's table, with a league Clasico at Montjuic to come on May 11. Ancelotti is not set to be in charge for the Club World Cup but how does the Italian fix his back four in the run-in? And what moves might Madrid make in the summer? Rudiger, Mendy and Alaba have all undergone operations, as Madrid said in those statements. According to sources at Madrid's Valdebebas training ground — who, like all those cited in this article, asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships — those of Rudiger and Alaba were scheduled. The Athletic reported that Rudiger had been suffering from knee problems and taking painkillers for eight months. Alaba, meanwhile, had returned from 399 days out with his ACL injury in January. Madrid sources say his recovery has not gone as well as expected while other team voices said Alaba played with pain in his knee before being substituted in last month's 1-0 win against Getafe. Dani Carvajal is out with an ACL injury he suffered in October, although those close to him say he is confident he will return for the Club World Cup. Militao is also recovering from the second of those injuries he suffered in November and is aiming to return for that tournament. Eduardo Camavinga, the France midfielder who has filled in at left-back, is also out for the season after suffering a complete rupture of his left adductor tendon last week. The first reaction from the coaching staff, when asked by The Athletic about the injuries to Rudiger, Mendy and Alaba, was telling: 'We are without defenders, as always!' Those same sources have long been resigned to that situation in defence: Madrid missed out on signing centre-back Leny Yoro, who moved to Manchester United, last summer and had to face Atletico Madrid and Manchester City in February without a senior centre-back. Against Red Bull Salzburg in January, they played without a recognised right-back. Advertisement The coaching staff expressed concerns to The Athletic as early as September about Rudiger and Militao's workload but said they had no choice but to play them. Both have now suffered knee injuries. 'We will have to come up with something, as always,' voices at the training ground said. 'We have to finish the season well.' Ancelotti can only count on four recognised defenders: centre-backs Raul Asencio and Jesus Vallejo, right-back Lucas Vazquez and left-back Fran Garcia. But the coaching staff have barely used Vallejo, who has played 10 minutes this term and has made only 32 appearances for the club since joining in 2015. Madrid will play with a centre-back pairing of Asencio and midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni in the most important games. The France international has played there 13 times this season but there is another problem for Madrid — if the France international is shown a yellow card in this Sunday's game against Celta Vigo, he will be suspended for the all-important Clasico the following week. Madrid could also turn to Federico Valverde at right-back, where he has played well this season. Valdebebas sources also expect Ancelotti to call up three to four players from the 'B' team, Real Madrid Castilla, each week to counter the injury crisis. 'We're going to get smashed,' was how pessimistic academy sources described this prospect. They expect the highly rated centre-back Jacobo Ramon, 20, to be called up in upcoming matches. They see the 18-year-old Mario Rivas as another of their great prospects but Diego Aguado — another 18-year-old who made his first-team debut in January and can play at left-back — is more popular among Ancelotti's coaching staff. The 22-year-old right-back Lorenzo Aguado, who has already trained frequently with the first team and made his debut against Cartagena in the Copa del Rey, is also expected to be called upon. Advertisement Promising defender Joan Martinez, who suffered an ACL injury last August, is in the final stages of recovery. But sources close to him and at Madrid believe it is too early to say whether the 17-year-old will be available for the Club World Cup. An academy voice told The Athletic that Martinez had gained six kilograms (13lb) of muscle during his recovery and that he will join the team 'little by little next week', with a view to him playing pre-season with Castilla. Defender Victor Valdepenas, 18, could also play. This situation only underlines the need to make defensive moves in the transfer market this summer, as Madrid had been planning for some time. Since the knee injuries to Carvajal (October) and Militao (November), the board told Ancelotti it would look to sign a right-back and a centre-back in the following two transfer windows. Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to join from Liverpool, with his deal expiring in June. Madrid tried to bring forward his arrival to January, but senior figures at Anfield refused to negotiate his exit. Madrid's board informed Ancelotti and others at Valdebebas as early as March that the right-back would be joining the club. Madrid also have plans at centre-back. As reported by The Athletic, Arsenal's William Saliba is highly regarded but is under contract at the north London side until 2027, making a move this summer highly unlikely. They like Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen but have shown no signs of being willing to pay his £50million ($66.5m) release clause — even if the Dutch-born Spain international would favour a move to the Bernabeu. Last month, The Athletic's David Ornstein reported that Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are all interested in him. According to those close to Huijsen, he will not decide on his future until the season ends. Advertisement Other names linked to Madrid include RB Leipzig's Castello Lukeba and Jorrel Hato of Ajax. Lukeba has a €90m (£77m; $102m) release clause but there is an agreement in place for him to leave for a lower price this summer and clubs in the Premier League have shown more concrete interest. Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah had discussed terms with Barcelona and was offered to Madrid months ago, but was turned down. But sources close to the German player, who is out of contract in June and has said he will not renew, say that if Xabi Alonso is made the next Madrid coach, he could join his current head coach. Madrid were already having doubts about Alaba's future even before his latest knee operation, as his entourage is aware. The club are keen on the Austrian's departure, particularly given his high salary. There could also be moves at left-back. Injuries to Mendy, who renewed last year even though this has not been announced officially, and Garcia's mixed performances have led Madrid to assess the market. They admire Benfica's ex-Manchester United full-back Alvaro Carreras, who came through at Real Madrid before moving to Old Trafford, although a €50m release clause may prove prohibitive. Another prominent name behind the scenes is Milos Kerkez, but Bournemouth want around £45m for him and he is highly regarded by Premier League champions Liverpool, with Manchester City also admirers. Another option could be Miguel Gutierrez of Girona, a Madrid academy product on whom Madrid have an €8m buy-back clause, although this is not an option they have seriously considered since his exit in 2022. On Sunday, The Athletic reported that Ancelotti was set to leave Madrid to join Brazil. But it now appears the move to manage the record five-time world champions has stalled when all that was missing was the signature. Ancelotti has also received interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia. Even so, the saga is unlikely to have much of an impact on Madrid's transfer plans. Ancelotti has not had much say over recent moves, as his decision-making power has been reduced over the years. He is also unlikely to be staying for much longer at the Bernabeu. If Madrid do change coach, their former midfielder and Bayer Leverkusen coach Alonso is in pole position to take over — and a new manager might have a greater say in some decisions. But it is worth remembering that president Florentino Perez always has the final say.
CNA
29-04-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Real defenders Mendy and Alaba sidelined with injuries
Real Madrid have been hit by a wave of injury setbacks, with defenders Ferland Mendy and David Alaba both facing potential season-ending injuries, the Spanish club confirmed on Tuesday. Mendy suffered a rupture in his right thigh during the Copa del Rey final loss to Barcelona, the Spanish club said on Tuesday. Local media reports said Mendy could face up to a month on the sidelines in the latest setback for the France left back, who has already missed several weeks due to multiple injuries this season. "Following tests carried out on our player Ferland Mendy... he has been diagnosed with a rupture of the proximal tendon of the anterior rectus in the right quadriceps," Real said in a statement. A hamstring injury suffered in March kept Mendy out for more than a month, while a muscle injury had sidelined him for almost two weeks in December. Austria international Alaba was forced off with an injury during Real Madrid's 1–0 win over Getafe last week. The setback comes shortly after his return from a muscle injury sustained in February, following more than a year of recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. After appearing as a substitute in Saturday's final, the 32-year-old centre back "has been diagnosed with a ruptured internal meniscus in his left knee," Real said. According to reports, Alaba will undergo surgery before beginning a rehabilitation period for six to eight weeks. Mendy and Alaba's injuries add to a growing list of absences in Real's defence, with Antonio Ruediger undergoing knee surgery earlier on Tuesday.
Straits Times
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Real defenders Mendy and Alaba sidelined with injuries
Real Madrid have been hit by a wave of injury setbacks, with defenders Ferland Mendy and David Alaba both facing potential season-ending injuries, the Spanish club confirmed on Tuesday. Mendy suffered a rupture in his right thigh during the Copa del Rey final loss to Barcelona, the Spanish club said on Tuesday. Local media reports said Mendy could face up to a month on the sidelines in the latest setback for the France left back, who has already missed several weeks due to multiple injuries this season. "Following tests carried out on our player Ferland Mendy... he has been diagnosed with a rupture of the proximal tendon of the anterior rectus in the right quadriceps," Real said in a statement. A hamstring injury suffered in March kept Mendy out for more than a month, while a muscle injury had sidelined him for almost two weeks in December. Austria international Alaba was forced off with an injury during Real Madrid's 1–0 win over Getafe last week. The setback comes shortly after his return from a muscle injury sustained in February, following more than a year of recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. After appearing as a substitute in Saturday's final, the 32-year-old centre back "has been diagnosed with a ruptured internal meniscus in his left knee," Real said. According to reports, Alaba will undergo surgery before beginning a rehabilitation period for six to eight weeks. Mendy and Alaba's injuries add to a growing list of absences in Real's defence, with Antonio Ruediger undergoing knee surgery earlier on Tuesday. Real, who are four points off LaLiga leaders Barcelona going into the last five games in the campaign, host Celta Vigo on Sunday. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
New York Times
29-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Real Madrid's David Alaba suffers knee injury setback
Real Madrid defender David Alaba has suffered a meniscus injury in his left knee and is unlikely to feature again before the Club World Cup. Alaba is Madrid's third defender to have been confirmed as facing a layoff on Tuesday, with left-back Ferland Mendy set to miss the rest of the season after sustaining an injury during Saturday's 3-2 Copa del Rey final defeat by Barcelona and Antonio Rudiger expected to be sidelined for around six weeks after undergoing surgery for a meniscus tear. Advertisement Carlo Ancelotti's side are also without long-term defensive absentees Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao. Like Rudiger, the club expect Alaba, who will undergo minor surgery, is expected to return to selection for the revamped Club World Cup. Madrid get their tournament underway against Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal on June 18. 32-year-old Alaba's season has been restricted by injury problems that have limited him to just seven appearances in La Liga across 2024-25. The Austria international started in both Madrid's Champions League quarter-final leg defeats against Arsenal earlier this month and most recently started in the league victory at Getafe on April 23. Alaba is now set to miss the remaining five matches of Madrid's La Liga campaign, including a potential title-deciding match away to Barcelona on May 11. Madrid's current central defensive options are limited to Raul Asencio and Aurelien Tchouameni, a midfielder by trade, with Castilla defender Jacobo Ramon another option. ()
United News of India
24-04-2025
- Sport
- United News of India
Double injury setback for Real Madrid ahead of Copa del Rey final
Madrid, Apr 24 (UNI) Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has suffered a double injury setback as his side starts to prepare for Saturday's Copa del Rey final against FC Barcelona. Although Madrid kept four points behind Barca in La Liga thanks to Arda Guler's goal in a 1-0 win away to Getafe on Wednesday night, both defender David Alaba and midfielder Eduardo Camavinga had to leave the match with injuries. Alaba, who started at left back, was replaced by Camavinga. But Camavinga then suffered an injury that left him unable to continue with just three minutes left to play. Speaking after the match, Ancelotti confirmed it would be "difficult" for either player to recover in time for Saturday's final. "We'll have to see tomorrow, but Alaba has two injuries in his legs and it's going to be hard for him to recover for Saturday as they are muscle problems," said the coach. With Ferland Mendy also injured, Ancelotti said the absences meant Fran Garcia would probably start Saturday's game. The good news for Madrid is that striker Kylian Mbappe trained with the squad on Tuesday after suffering an ankle injury against Arsenal last week and the Frenchman should be fit. Barcelona, meanwhile, will be without Robert Lewandowski, who pulled a hamstring last weekend. UNI/XINHUA BM
