Real Madrid’s injury issue is putting Carlo Ancelotti’s squad to the test, and while some players are close to returning, others continue to tumble.
The two healthy central defenders left are Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez, following David Alaba’s season-ending injury on Sunday. Ancelotti called Aurelien Tchouameni “the first option” to step in at centre back. Dani Carvajal, a right-back, is one of four players who are rumoured to be close to returning, but none of them play central defence.
It appears that Real Madrid will not sign a defender in January, in spite of Ancelotti’s demands for an alternative, and they will have to rely on kids or temporary fixes to get by. He will not, however, be able to call upon the sole Castilla center-back for Real Madrid that the Italian had previously believed was prepared for the move. Marvel will be unavailable for the next three months, according to Marca. Following his collapse with a suspected muscular injury, the 20-year-old’s diagnosis has been verified.
Ancelotti is left with three major options: convince Los Blancos to enter the market, play one of his senior squad members out of position, or insert a young player ahead of schedule. For Ancelotti, this is a sensitive matter. Real Madrid has the finest defensive record in more than 50 years, which contributes to their success in La Liga. However, injuries are now posing a threat to their defence.