New Delhi: Carlo Ancelotti had a phenomenal time as Real Madrid manager last season, guiding the club to a La Liga and UEFA Champions League double, outclassing their opponents on the way to these titles. However, he hasn’t had the best of starts to the 2024-25 campaign as his squad has been riddled with injuries, some of which have carried forward from last season.
Los Blancos have just seen another player ruled out for a spell on the sidelines as another one of their defenders has been injured for at least the next two weeks. This leaves the club in a dire defensive crisis as it doesn’t look like they have a natural centre-back to partner Antonio Rudiger in defence following this latest injury. The only option on Carlo Ancelloti’s hand seems to be recalling out-of-favour defender Jesus Vallejo back into the fold.
With many big-name players missing for the European champions, it’ll be tough for Ancelotti to keep his squad performing at the level expected of them. Here’s a look at the eight players currently facing a spell on the sidelines and contributing to Ancelotti’s selection headaches.
9) Jacobo Ramón
Jacobo Ramon (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Starting with the player whose injury inspired this list, Real Madrid youngster Jacobo Ramón becomes the latest addition to Real Madrid’s injury list. The defender is set to miss the next two weeks of action at least as he suffered a muscle injury according to a report by Marca.
The 19-year-old was expected to get some minutes after serious injuries to other Real Madrid centre-backs as his talent had impressed the manager. With the defender scheduled to miss Real Madrid Castilla’s match against Villarreal B, he’s almost set to miss the La Liga clash with Real Sociedad as well.
8) Joan Martínez
Joan Martinez (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
One of Real Madrid’s highly-rated young defenders, the 17-year-old centre-back was supposed to be a part of the first-team squad this season after impressing for the academy. He even travelled with the first team to the pre-season tour of the US and played decent minutes in pre-season, with him being in line to make the squad for the UEFA Super Cup game against Atalanta.
However, in a cruel twist of fate, he suffered an ACL injury during a training session with the club and had to undergo surgery which saw him ruled out for effectively the entire season. He becomes the second Real Madrid defender to suffer an ACL injury in two years and everyone at the club will be hoping that he’s able to get back to his form following his return.
7) Dani Ceballos
Dani Ceballos (Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images)
Coming to the more recognized and established first-team players at the club, Dani Ceballos has also suffered a serious injury and is facing a spell on the sidelines. The Spanish midfielder suffered an ankle sprain during the club’s 2-0 win over Real Betis and it rules him out of action for the next six to eight weeks. It was his first start of the season but it didn’t end on a happy note for the midfielder.
The club issued a statement following the game which mentioned the severity of Ceballos’ injury. They explained that the 28-year-old had suffered a grade three sprain along with damage to the ligament on his right ankle. Ceballos has largely struggled during his time at the Santiago Bernabéu and with a lot of the regular midfield starters injured, this was his time to stake a claim for himself in the team but instead, he joins them in the treatment room as well.
6) Ferland Mendy
Ferland Mendy. (Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images)
Real Madrid’s left-back Ferland Mendy has suffered his fair share of injuries ever since his move to the Spanish capital and it seems like he’s facing another spell out on the sidelines, albeit a much shorter one. The defender played in Madrid’s last game before the International break and was called up by the French national team for their UEFA Nations League fixtures against Italy and Belgium.
However, the full-back returned to Madrid after he suffered a strain in his right tibia to continue his recovery from the injury. The call to send Mendy back to Spain was taken by the French medical staff who thought it would be best for Mendy to be examined by Real Madrid’s specialists. The only positive to come out of his injury is that it isn’t as serious as it was suspected to be and Mendy is expected to be available for the Real Sociedad game next weekend.
5) Eduardo Camavinga
Eduardo Camavinga. (Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Carlo Ancelotti’s favourite player to call upon during an injury crisis is currently part of one. French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga is yet to make an appearance for his club this season as he suffered a knee injury while training for the UEFA Super Cup game against Atalanta. The club confirmed that the midfielder sprained his left knee’s internal collateral ligament.
Camavinga, who is an integral part of Ancelotti’s squad given his versatility, is expected to be out for several weeks following that injury. The injury occurred after the midfielder suffered a collision with teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni during training after his studs got caught in the ground. While the club haven’t confirmed his return date yet, it is expected he’ll be out for a total of seven weeks.
4) Aurélien Tchouaméni
Aurelien Tchouameni. (Photo by Mateo Villalba/Getty Images)
Aurélien Tchouaméni completes the French trio for Madrid that are out with an injury currently. The midfielder, along with Mendy, was called up to the French national team for their UEFA Nations League fixtures but withdrew himself from the games due to a foot injury. Like Mendy, Tchouaméni returned to the club as well in order to undergo further assessments.
The club aren’t very concerned with the 24-year-old’s injury as it’s not expected to be serious and the decision to withdraw from the national team was only taken as a precaution so as not to aggravate the injury. The club expects Tchouaméni to return to full fitness post the international break and he might also be back in time to make the squad for the game against Real Sociedad.
3) David Alaba
David Alaba. (Photo by Marco Steinbrenner/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
The 32-year-old has been a long-term absentee for Los Blancos having been out injured since the middle of last season for Carlo Ancelotti’s side. Alaba was withdrawn 35 minutes into a La Liga game against Villareal after he suffered an ACL injury which would require him to undergo surgery. That injury ended the Austrian’s season with the club as he was ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Alaba was expected to miss the UEFA Euro, which he did, and was expected to be back around the time Real Madrid started this season but that hasn’t happened yet. The Austrian is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines and has reportedly not yet regained full mobility in his injured leg. With a tricky recovery period for Alaba, some reports claim that the defender might not make it back to the pitch till 2025.
2) Eder Militão
Eder Militão (Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images)
Real Madrid’s Brazillian star joins the list of players who suffered an injury during the current international break. The centre-back returned to Real Madrid after leaving Brazil’s training camp ahead of their World Cup qualification fixtures against Ecuador and Paraguay. The defender complained of pain in his right leg and after medical examinations were conducted, it was revealed to be a small muscle injury in his right thigh.
This is another setback for the Brazillian defender after he spent most of last season out injured with an ACL injury, missing out on participating in the league and Champions League double. His injury sees Madrid go into a bit of a defensive crisis as there isn’t a timeline for his return and all of the club’s backup defenders have been ruled out due to injury as well, leaving Rudiger as the only fit first-team centre-back at the club
1) Jude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham (Photo by Cristian Trujillo/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
Real Madrid’s wunderkind had a brilliant debut season at the club, scoring loads of goals, striking a partnership with the club’s other stars and winning the biggest trophy in club football. The start to his second season at the club, however, has not been the same. The Englishman picked up a foot injury in the second game of the season against RCD Mallorca and was ruled out for a month.
Tests carried out by Real Madrid’s medical staff revealed that the player suffered an injury in the plantaris muscle in his right leg which ruled him out till mid-September, post the international break. After that, Bellingham had been looking sharp in the training sessions, however, a small knock has cautioned the medical team to not rush back their star midfielder before he properly heals.
Carlo Ancelotti has a huge task on his hand after one more Real Madrid player suffered an injury, leaving the Italian manager with a bit of selection headache. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
