Real Madrid star center back David Alaba has been out since December of last year with a torn ACL, and there have been months of contradicting – and often pessimistic – rumors regarding the Austrian veteran.
Before the season started, Alaba was expected to need a little more time to return, but there was a consensus that he’d be able to return to Real Madrid at some point in October.
And then October came and the narrative was different, with reports stating that Alaba would [need to be out for even more months](https://www.facebook.com/fabrizioromanoherewego/posts/%EF%B8%8F-david-alabas-return-initially-expected-in-october-has-been-delayed-to-january-/1163062218954601/), setting his timetable for a return until January 2025.
In a press conference before Sunday’s LaLiga fixture between Real Madrid and Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu, Merengue head coach Carlo Ancelotti affirmed that Alaba will be returning in January.
He noted that Alaba will be able train with the rest of his teammates – finally – starting on Dec. 30 with a return targeted for mid-January, meaning Real Madrid fans will only have to wait a few more weeks for the 32-year-old to get back in the mix.
It’s hard to say how much Alaba can contribute, and the fact that it’s taken him so long to return from an ACL tear at his age is concerning, but Real Madrid could use all the help they can get.
Anyone saying Alaba will be “like a signing” would need to get their head checked, and Real Madrid should sign a center back this January. But Alaba can’t hurt a team that is between Fran Garcia and Ferland Mendy at left back and currently starting Aurelien Tchouameni and Antonio Rudiger at center back with Raul Asencio potentially attempting to supplant Lucas Vazquez at right back.
Real Madrid need all hands on deck, and, perhaps, Alaba can help the team down the stretch. Before his injury, he was one of the best center backs in Europe and central to Real’s 2021/22 Champions League triumph.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.