Liverpool are set to face Real Madrid in the Champions League at Anfield next month, and Xabi Alonso has been dealt a couple of new injury worries during the international break, which could see key players miss out
Xabi Alonso speaks
Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso may have a number of key players sidelined against Liverpool
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Real Madrid could be without four key players when they face Liverpool in the Champions League next month. Xabi Alonso has had to deal with injuries to key players during his short but sweet tenure at the Bernabeu thus far.
And the Spaniard has just been handed another double injury blow during the international break as Liverpool prepare to face Madrid on home soil on Tuesday, November 4. Franco Mastantuono suffered a knock during the club's last La Liga clash with Villarreal, but still joined Argentina on international duty.
However, the 18-year-old has now dropped out of the national squad as a result of suffering from muscle fatigue. As a result, he will miss the nation's next friendly with Puerto Rico come Wednesday, October 15, and will return to the Spanish capital to undergo further tests to determine the severity of his injury.
Meanwhile, Didier Deschamps confirmed that Kylian Mbappe will undergo assessment after France's 3-0 win over Azerbaijan in the World Cup Qualifiers on Friday evening. Like Mastantuono, Mbappe picked up a minor injury against Villarreal, and went down in pain late into his nation's fixture before he was replaced by Florian Thauvin.
It comes as Antonio Rudiger and Ferland Mendy could also miss Real Madrid's clash with Liverpool next month, dependent on how they recover from their current injuries. Rudiger is expected to be sidelined with a hamstring injury until December after sustaining the issue during training.
Meanwhile Mendy has failed to make an appearance under Alonso since this summer's Club World Cup, sidelined with a reported thigh injury with no return date in sight. While Dean Huijsen, Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold are also injured at present, all three are expected to have returned to full fitness by the time Real Madrid face Liverpool.
It comes as Arne Slot has had his own fair share of player injuries to navigate as of late. Alisson Becker may miss Liverpool's return to the Champions League as a result of a hamstring injury sustained against Galatasaray as a result of being expected to be unavailable for selection until mid-November.
While Ibrahima Konate came off against Chelsea with a quad problem, he has since travelled with France on international duty, and it is expected that his injury is not severe. Giovanni Leoni, meanwhile, has undergone surgery for an ACL injury, and will miss the majority of the season as a result.
Elsewhere, Wataru Endo missed international duty with Japan as a result of an unspecified injury. It is unknown as to the severity of his issue or whether he will be fit to play against Real Madrid.
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