After 12 months out, Real Madrid defender David Alaba is closing in on a return from his long-term knee injury. In news that will be well received by coach Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid could gain a boost to their fragile defence with the return of the 32 year old.
The Austrian central defender tore his anterior cruciate ligament against Villarreal on December 17th, 2023. 12 months on, he has yet to feature for the club despite officially being named on the bench as an unused substitute for the UEFA Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund in June.
Speaking in his press conference ahead of Real Madrid’s last La Liga game of 2024 against Sevilla, coach Carlo Ancelotti explained that, “Alaba is also doing training sessions. I think he will return to the group on the 30th and will be available, perhaps, by mid-January”.
David Alaba has been out for over a year
Over 12 months have passed since Alaba went down, waving his arm in the air to signal for assistance, against Villarreal in December 2023. He was carried off the field and a torn anterior cruciate ligament was diagnosed almost immediately, with Carlo Ancelotti confirming the injury in his post-match press conference, saying, “it’s a shame, we’re very sad”.
Alaba had started 13 of 17 La Liga fixtures in the 2023/24 campaign before the injury came and caused significant disruption to a season which had been going well for him after securing his place as first-choice in defence.
The injury also forced him to miss Euro 2024, where Austria crashed out in the round of 16 against Turkey. The tournament had been tipped as the last hurrah of his international career with Austria after 105 appearances for his country, and while Alaba did travel to Germany to join his team-mates, he was forced to watch on from the stands.
Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal remain out
Coach Carlo Ancelotti has had his options in defence significantly limited this season. Alaba’s absence was further compounded by injuries to Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão over the course of the season, with both joining Alaba in having anterior cruciate ligament injuries.
Carvajal was the first to suffer the injury as he overextended his knee in injury time against Villarreal on October 5th. Set to turn 33 in January, Carvajal’s contract has since been extended until 2026 as a show of faith, but he is unlikely to take to the field again in the 2024/25 season.
Militão followed him shortly afterwards after suffering a knee injury against Osasuna on November 9th. The defender only recovered from the same injury in his other knee earlier this year, causing serious concern among those at the club about long-term stability issues which could impact Militão’s career prospects.
Those injuries have left Ancelotti with Antonio Rüdiger as the only first-team central defender to be fit and available. Aurélien Tchouameni and Ferland Mendy have both filled in at times, with youngster Raúl Asencio also earning a first-team debut and getting a regular run in the side.