By Milcah Tanimu

Real Madrid’s defensive lineup faces another setback as Austrian center-back David Alaba suffers a severe knee injury during their recent 4-1 victory against Villarreal in La Liga. Alaba was forced to leave the field in the first half after a challenge with Villarreal forward Gerard Moreno.

Following diagnostic tests, Real Madrid confirmed that Alaba has a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and will undergo surgery in the coming days. This injury compounds Madrid’s defensive woes, as they are already dealing with cruciate ligament injuries to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, defender Eder Militao, and midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

With only two fit central defenders, Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez, Coach Carlo Ancelotti may need to explore alternative options. Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, returning from injury, could potentially be deployed in defense.

Ancelotti expressed his disappointment, stating, “It’s a shame, it’s very sad, and I’ve never had three cruciate ligament (problems) in four months. We have carried that and done more than what people thought.”

In addition to defensive setbacks, Madrid is also without star forward Vinicius Junior due to a hamstring injury. However, contributions from players like Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo Goes, and Brahim Diaz have helped mitigate the absence of the Brazilian forward.