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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
William Pickworth

Real Madrid given major fitness boost before Liverpool final in Champions League

Real Madrid defender David Alaba has declared himself fit for the Champions League final against Liverpool and said he is ‘prepared’ for the clash.

Alaba, who joined Los Blancos in 2021 in a high profile free transfer from Bayern Munich, injured his hamstring during a LaLiga fixture against Osasuna in April. He played the semi-final first leg against Man City a week later but was withdrawn at half time. And he hasn’t played since. He returned to training ahead of Real Madrid’s LaLiga finale against Real Betis at the weekend, but then left during a session as it appeared he had a setback in his recovery, according to reports.

However, the left-sided defender seemed optimistic about his fitness for Saturday’s Champions League final in Paris. “I feel very good and I have had time to recover,” he told Real Madrid’s website. “I have worked very hard these days to be prepared.”

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Carlo Ancelotti will be hoping that Alaba, one of his most experienced defenders, is fit for the weekend. Nacho Fernandez and Eder Militao filled in in Alaba’s absence but the Madrid defence looked leaky throughout their semi-final clash. The Austrian international also has pedigree in the competition having won the Champions League in both 2012/13 and 2019/20 while at Bayern Munich.

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