Real Madrid has received a major injury hit prior to their Champions League confrontation with Manchester City.
The two European giants meet two legs later this month after they did not automatically qualify for the last 16 of the Elite Club competition.
And Carlo Ancelotti will play an improvised backline after he has lost one of his first team stars of injury.
The Austrian International David Alaba shot from the training on Monday and is now expected to be put aside for 2-3 weeks with a muscle injury in his left leg.
He will certainly miss the first stage of next Tuesday at Etihad and is a big doubt for the return match in Madrid on February 19.
Madrid is already without Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal after the couple had sustained serious knee injuries at the end of 2024.
In the meantime, Antonio Rudiger also had to be replaced during Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Espanyol after picking up a hamstring problem, and he is almost certain of both legs against the city.
This leaves Ancelotti with very limited options in the heart of his defense. The experienced Italian will probably have to rely on a coupling of 21-year-old Raul Asencio and Aurelien Tchouameni to keep Erling and Co at bay.
Tchouameni is better known for working as a midfielder, but this season occasionally fell in the defense in the midst of Madrid's crisis at the back.
Madrid also has a huge derby against Atletico Madrid on Saturday, with only one point that is currently separating the top two in Laliga.
Madrid's problems can be a welcome boost for the city because they offer to eliminate the defending champion to book their place in the last 16.
City almost failed to even reach the competition phase of the Champions League, because they needed a second half of comeback last week to beat Club Brugge.
But she slid to a humiliating 5-1 defeat by Arsenal on Sunday and now falls outside the top four of the Premier League.
Their focus will focus on the Champions League while they are preparing to hire a well -known enemy.
Their collision with Madrid becomes the fourth meeting in as many seasons between the two parties.
Madrid took the city out of 2021-22 and last season, while City hit their Spanish opponents in 2022-23 before she won the Treble.
Comments