Real Madrid’s preparations for Thursday’s Super Cup semifinal against Atlético Madrid were rocked by the absence of center back Antonio Rüdiger from training, reports have revealed.
Madrid, who are already without star forward Kylian Mbappé through injury, have been plagued by fitness problems in defence all season, with Rüdiger himself missing 15 games across all competitions with a hamstring injury.
Having made his return in late November, Rüdiger has been gradually rebuilding his fitness but, as noted by MARCA and AS, is now suffering with discomfort in his knee.
The German defender did not train with the rest of the team on Wednesday, instead undergoing an individual session after reporting his injury to the team’s medical staff.
A final decision on Rüdiger’s involvement in Thursday’s crunch game is expected to be delayed as long as possible, with manager Xabi Alonso already struggling with options in defense.
Real Madrid’s Defensive Injury Crisis Deepens
Should Rüdiger fail to recover in time to feature, Alonso would be left with just two senior central defenders for Thursday’s game.
The under-pressure Dean Huijsen is likely to start for Madrid alongside Raúl Asencio. David Alaba has travelled to Saudi Arabia but is not seen as a viable starter, having yet to feature since returning from a calf injury.
Over at right back, Alonso has left the door open to minutes for the returning Dani Carvajal, particularly as Trent Alexander-Arnold also underwent his own individual training session on Wednesday. Concerns over the Englishman’s condition are not thought to be particularly high.
Castilla defender David Jiménez has joined up with Alonso’s squad to help make up the numbers ahead of a fixture which could well have a huge impact on the manager’s future at the Bernabéu.
While a 5–1 win over Real Betis undoubtedly eased the pressure, a competitive performance at the Super Cup has long been seen as critical to Alonso’s hopes of keeping his job. Getting to the final, where they would meet Barcelona, could decide the manager’s fate.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Discomfort’—Real Madrid Injury Woes Increase Ahead of Atletico Derby.
