One of the main talking points ahead of Real Madrid's clash with Atletico Madrid tonight has been Antonio Rudiger's availability. The German defender has endured recurring injury issues this season and looked to have been ruled out of the Supercopa del Espana semi-final.
Rudiger was reportedly dealing with a knee issue which made him a doubt for the Madrid derby. Xabi Alonso was expected to turn to Dean Huijsen in his absence.
There has now been a new update on Rudiger's situation just hours before the game. It seems the 32-year-old might be fit to play after all.
Rudiger now set to be available for Supercopa semi-final
Rudiger's injury appears to have just been a scare as he is reportedly going to be available for the match in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The former Chelsea man is believed to have told Alonso's coaching staff that he's fit, per Marca.
Alonso will have one of Madrid's most experienced players available for the derby which could be huge given a place in the Supercopa final is at stake. The winner of tonight's game faces Barcelona on January 11th after the Catalans thrashed Athletic Bilbao 5-0 last night.
Rudiger has only appeared eight times across competitions this season due to fitness struggles. But he has featured in all of Los Blancos' last six La Liga games and lasted 89 minutes in the 5-1 win against Real Betis last time out.
How has Rudiger fared against Atleti?
The Germany international has strong record against Atleti having been on the winning side in five of eight Madrid derbies. He has only tasted defeat twice and will be tasked with helping Los Merengues seal another victory tonight.
Rudiger's only goal against Simeone's side ironically came in the Supercopa semi-finals in the 2023-24 campaign. That should hopefully be a good omen heading into the same game tonight.
Alonso will want his troops focused at the job at hand and Rudiger's experience could be key. There have been signs he's past his best but it's difficult to asses the veteran center-back when he's played so little this season.
The German's availability means Alonso is set to field the same XI that beat Betis. Gonzalo Garcia will continue to lead the line in the absence of Kylian Mbappe and he comes into the game off the back of a hat-trick.
Raul Asencio was also on target in that game and can be expected to partner Rudiger again in central defense. All eyes will be on Vinicius Junior given his difficult spell and goal drought and he's set to be named on the right wing.