LALIGA
Real Madrid defender David Alaba injured: will he play against Manchester City in the Champions League?
The former Bayern Munich defender was replaced at half-time in the Champions League win over Chelsea and faces a spell out.
Real Madrid defender David Alaba has undergone tests to determine the extent of the injury that forced him off at half-time in Los Blancos’ Champions League quarter-final victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. An scan has revealed that the Austrian suffered a small tear in one of his calf muscles, which is expected to keep him out of action for around two weeks. Alaba himself advised manager Carlo Ancelotti that would have to come off, with the Italian sending on Antonio Rüdiger in his place.
Will Alaba be fit for the Copa del Rey final?
If the estimated timeframes are ultimately correct, the ex-Bayern Munich man will be should have recovered just in time for the Copa del Rey final against Osasuna on 6 May, although the first leg of the Champions League semi-final tie against Manchester City (9 May) may be a more realistic target. During the game in London, striker Karim Benzema also suffered a minor knock after being trodden on by Blues defender Thiago Silva.
Alaba’s fitness issues
Alaba’s fitness setback is not the first he has suffered this season, with two other injuries in 2023 causing him to miss almost a month of action on each occasion. In the first league game of the year against Villarreal, he also suffered a (separate) calf problem, which sidelined him for 27 days in which Madrid played seven games across the Spanish Super Cup, the Copa del Rey and LaLiga.
After returning in time for the Club World Cup and two league games, Alaba then suffered a hamstring tear in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie against Liverpool at Anfield. The defender was forced to sit out six games in the space of 34 days, including the first-leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Barcelona and the return leg of the European clash against the Reds.
Looking back through the history books, in only one other season in his career has Alaba spent more time on the sidelines. In 2014-15, while at Bayern, he suffered medial ligament damage in his left knee, which required two operations and saw him miss more than five months of action in total. While this latest injury is not nearly as serious, Madrid will have to hope the 30-year-old is back in time for two matches which are likely to define their season in the two different cup competitions.
Benzema fit for LaLiga battle with Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski
As for Benzema, he was taken off at Stamford Bridge as a result of the knock suffered at the hands of veteran defender Silva. The squad were given the day off on Wednesday and the Frenchman took part in training as normal on Thursday. With nine LaLiga games to go until the end of the season, he will be looking to catch Robert Lewandowski at the top of the goalscoring charts; Barcelona’s Polish striker has scored 17 to Benzema’s 14 so far.