REAL MADRID
Real Madrid injury update ahead of LaLiga game against Rayo Vallecano: Rüdiger, Bellingham, Brahim Díaz…
Antonio Rüdiger and Jude Bellingham both picked up injuries earlier this month, while Brahim Díaz was forced off in the Champions League in midweek.
Despite their recent good results, Real Madrid’s defensive injury issues continue. Centre-back Antonio Rüdiger hasn’t yet recovered from the thigh injury he suffered in the win over Getafe (1 February) and will miss a fourth successive match when Los Blancos visit Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga on Sunday.
When will Rüdiger be back for Real Madrid?
The German’s absence in the derby draw against Atlético Madrid saw Dani Carvajal team up with Nacho in central defence. Rüdiger then returned to training ahead of the top-of-the-table clash against Girona, only to drop out of the matchday squad after it was discovered the injury to his quad was worse than first feared.
Madrid initially believed the 30-year-old would be back in action in two weeks, which would’ve seen him feature against Rayo. However, Rüdiger could now make his return in the home game against Sevilla on Sunday 25 February, although head coach Carlo Ancelotti may decide to give him an extended period of rest to ensure he is fully fit for the business end of the season.
With the former Chelsea man still unavailable, midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni will once again start in central defence alongside Nacho, as was the case in Tuesday’s Champions League victory over RB Leipzig. The Frenchman has confessed he isn’t a fan of playing at the back but has performed well there as an emergency stop gap. In five (four and a half) games with Tchouaméni in that position, Madrid haven’t conceded a goal and have won on each occasion.
Modric in line for rare start against Rayo
This weekend, Ancelotti could, on the other hand, make changes in midfield. Luka Modric, who has played only 36 minutes in Los Merengues’ last three matches against Atlético, Girona and Leipzig, may be handed a rare start. Of the 20 players in the first-team squad (not counting long-term injury victims Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militão and David Alaba), the Croat is just 16th in terms of minutes played, and has played from the off in only 15 of Madrid’s 35 fixtures in all competitions. Last season, he was an unused substitute in two games, a figure which already stands at six this term (and three times since 21 January).
Brahim Díaz fit to play, Jude Bellingham remains absent
Another alteration could see Fran García come back into the team against his former club. Ferland Mendy has started the last nine games in a row at left-back but may now be in line for a rest.
Man-of-the-moment Brahim Díaz suffered an injury scare in Germany on Tuesday, going off late in the game clutching his calf after scoring a brilliant winning goal. However, he has already fully recovered and will be available to face Rayo if picked by Ancelotti. Fellow midfielder Jude Bellingham, however, remains sidelined by an ankle injury, with the second leg of the Champions League round-of-16 tie against RB Leipzig on 7 March pencilled in for his return.
Real Madrid’s 4-0 thrashing of Girona last weekend has seen them take control of the LaLiga title race. With 14 matches left to play, Ancelotti’s men are five points clear of the Catalana, 10 ahead of Barcelona and 13 better off that Atlético, the only team to have beaten them in the league this season. Rayo, meanwhile, are the only side that have managed to get a clean sheet against Los Blancos this term.