David Alaba injury turn as Real Madrid don’t expect him to start season

Signed in 2021, David Alaba made a positive impact at Real Madrid. The Austrian defender who is a veteran in his position was signed as a high-calibre name and a way to add more experience to the roster. He has certainly done that and he has become a key defender under Carlo Ancelotti.

However, he has not had the most fortunate time with injuries. In fact, much of the 2023/24 season was spent on the sideline, meaning Alaba missed most of the action which resulted in Real Madrid winning an infamous treble of La Liga, Champions League and the Supercopa. In fact, Alaba could not claim a Supercopa honour this season, despite his side winning it.

Still, there is optimism that David Alaba will play a key role next season, hence Real Madrid's lack of transfer activity in this department. The versatile defender is still just 31 years old and has until 2026 on his Bernabeu contract, so he still has plenty of time to prove himself.

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David Alaba injury turn as Real Madrid don’t expect him to start season

However, Real Madrid fans will be disappointed to hear that David Alaba is not expected to be at full fitness amid the commencement of the 2024/25 season. In fact, according to Rodra (h/t Madrid Universal), David Alaba has set the goal to complete a 90 minute match by October of 2024, after undergoing surgery.

In many ways, this is a realistic target. After all, Alaba has been injured for a long time now, so he is bound to take some time to adjust to a routine playing schedule again.

Thankfully for Real Madrid, they are pretty stacked in this department. Antonio Rudiger has made a name for himself and cemented his name into centre back, while Eder Militao has also returned from injury towards the end of last season. Aurelien Tchouameni can also do a job at centre back if required, it must be said.

From Carlo Ancelotti's perspective, he will not wish to rush David Alaba back to action. While the Austria international is a player who Ancelotti respects and has a great history with, the Italian understands that it is not in his best interest to risk further injury to Alaba. Therefore, October is a good timeframe for full match fitness.

What has been your favourite David Alaba moment during his time at Real Madrid?