Injury problems refuse to leave Real Madrid alone at the moment. They have Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao out for the long term, potentially for the rest of the season, but several others are dealing with short-term issues as well. The defence is one area where there is cause for worry right now.
David Alaba’s inclusion in the squad to face Osasuna still looked like a possibility up until yesterday as he took part in training sessions. But those hopes were put to rest as the Austrian international was excluded from the official squad for the upcoming game.
Alaba got injured against Las Palmas and has missed two games since. One against Girona in La Liga and the other against Napoli in the UEFA Champions League.
Real Madrid have been already overburdened by injuries since the beginning of the season. And the game against Osasuna could be tougher than anticipated.
Real Madrid left with one centre-back vs Osasuna
Real Madrid are left with only one centre-back option in Antonio Rudiger for the game against Osasuna. Amidst the injury problems, Nacho Fernandez saw a red card against Girona for a bad tackle on Portu in the final moments of the game and got suspended for the next three games as a result.
Not only will he miss the game against Osasuna, but he also is set to miss the El Clasico after the international break. Amidst all this, there is speculation that Carlo Ancelotti is considering trying out Ferland Mendy in a more central role tomorrow as he is short of options at the moment.
Alaba is expected to miss international duty. The versatile Real Madrid player will most likely make his comeback against Sevilla, after the break and is expected to be fully fit for the first El Clasico of the season later this month.