December 18, (THEWILL) – Real Madrid centre-back, David Alaba, has sustained a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee during Sunday’s match, the football club confirmed. Alaba fell in the latter part of the first half against Villarreal CF, at the Estadio de la Cerámica stadium. Initial assessments raised worries of a severe injury, which were verified by medical evaluations after the game.
The football star, is set to undergo surgery in the next few days to repair the ACL tear, as per a Real Madrid spokesperson. Alaba is the third Los Blancos player, to endure an ACL injury over the 2023 season, following goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defender Eder Militao. This poses a new complication for manager Carlo Ancelotti, to strategise around with his roster.
“The medical report says that he has a cruciate injury,” Ancelotti addressed in a post-game interview. “It’s a shame, we are very sad because another player goes down. I have never had three ACL injuries in just a few months.” The sudden injuries have exceeded typical expectations for the team this season. Still, Ancelotti maintains confidence in the squad’s perseverance through adversity.
While seeking reinforcements in the January transfer period is probable, Ancelotti, currently proposes existing defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, as crisis coverage for the suddenly depleted backline. “Tchouameni is the first option for centre-back,” the manager stated.
For now, the squad must adapt and support each other during this difficult period. Time will tell how significantly the injury impacts Real Madrid’s performance over the rest of the 2023/2024 football campaign.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
