It was not a defeat on the pitch but in the treatment room. Alaba has an adductor problem in his left leg and will be out for as long as three weeks. The problem? He is not alone. The club was already fighting an enormous list of absences, and it only got worse when they failed to sign anyone in the last window. Now, Carlo Ancelotti will have to balance his options as the team will be competitive in a decisive stretch.
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Defensive crisis and an issue with no solution
Real Madrid sees one more defender going down injured week after week. Alaba was added to the list with Rüdiger, Éder Militão, Dani Carvajal, and Eduardo Camavinga, all out injured. Militão and Carvajal will not come back this season, something that becomes disastrous for a team fighting for titles in every competition.
With so many absences, Madrid's defense is down to just two options: Raúl Asencio, still finding his place in professional soccer at 21 years old; and Aurélien Tchouaméni, who is being put into a defender role against his natural midfield positioning. Hardly the best configuration to take on what is turning into a brutal stage of the campaign.
A stretch that may make or break their season
If it all weren't complicated enough, the schedule brings no solace. This Thursday, Real Madrid plays Leganés in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals. After that, Atlético Madrid arrives in a match that could decide who leads in LaLiga. And right afterward, they meet Manchester City in the Champions League playoffs.
In other words, three consecutive make-or-break matches without the backbone of their defense. A predicament, definitely, given this is a team built upon solid defense.
Transfer window shut, and perhaps an expensive call
Puzzling is that this crisis should not have come as a surprise to Real Madrid, which did have the chance to strengthen this squad and didn't. Maybe it was loyalty toward the current players, but by the same virtue, it can be a tactical mistake.
Now, with the window closed, it's a case of no looking back. The club has to have faith in whatever it has in its armory. But, on an inexperienced young lad and a midfielder out of position in positions that decide matches is a huge gamble.
Bellingham and Mbappé add to the concerns
If the defensive crisis was not enough, an attack also fights against injuries: Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé are the two important pieces that will be spared in the clash with Leganés. The French forward suffered a contusion in the calf, while Bellingham couldn't train because of discomfort. The positive news is about Vinícius Jr, who, even though he didn't train in the last training, was medically discharged.
That means Ancelotti will have to find offensive solutions within his squad, probably using players who have been used less. The coach has already announced that Valverde won't play as a center-back but maybe could be used as a full-back in some games. Also, he mentioned Jacobo as a possibility, but in reality, none of these options gives much security.
Ancelotti doesn't lose his nerve, but the warning signs are there
Despite all difficulties, Carlo Ancelotti attempts to stay tranquil. During the press conference, the Italian head coach acknowledged the situation was an emergency but refused to dramatize it. "Unfortunately, during the last couple of days, we lost two important players, something we hadn't anticipated," he said.
It's hard to think that everything is under control. Perhaps Real Madrid have sufficient squad depth to be competitive, but now the margin for error is very slight, one mistake may see them blow the title.