In three days, two very serious injuries at Real Madrid and with the same diagnosis: rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in the left knee. On Thursday Thibaut Courtois suffered it in a training session in Valdebebas and this Saturday, Éder Militão in the league debut in San Mamés. The Brazilian center-back, like the Belgian goalkeeper, will undergo surgery in the coming days, the club reported yesterday in a statement, and his recovery time will last for at least six months. Two consecutive misfortunes that affect two fixed pieces in Carlo Ancelotti’s lineups.
The sensations of the defense were bad from the first moment, on the pitch of La Catedral. Militão came out to put pressure on Sancet at the beginning of the second part at three quarters of the field and his left knee broke in a bad move. The gestures of pain set off the alarms and, although Ancelotti said an hour later in the press room that he was suffering from a sprained knee, he added that the problem “did not look good” and that everything was waiting for the tests to be carried out. He was going to submit the following morning in Madrid. In the end, rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, the worst omen.
This is the most serious injury in the career of the 25-year-old Brazilian central defender, who since he was promoted to the non-negotiable category in the white defense, in the spring of 2021, had barely missed five games with the white team due to problems physical.
With his loss, Madrid is left with three pure central defenders: David Alaba, Antonio Rüdiger (his replacement in Bilbao) and Nacho Fernández, and less than three weeks to decide whether to enter the transfer market or wait for events.
Three pieces for that position would leave Madrid on the wire considering that Militão’s injury is long-term (it is difficult for him to return before spring) and the accumulation of matches. In any case, with this figure Carletto managed his successful first campaign, 2021-22. In it roster there was a fourth piece, Jesús Vallejo (today on loan at Granada), but his participation was testimonial. The physique of the main shortlist respected.
If now there were no contracts and, in case of urgency, he needed other emergency solutions, within the current squad two other players have served in the past as improvised center-backs: Carvajal (in extra time of the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Chelsea in 2022) and Mendy, although this has been three seasons now and wrapped in a drawing of three centrals.
In the case of the goal, there were no doubts and the misfortune of Courtois immediately mobilized Real Madrid in search of a new goalkeeper. It is expected that the entity will soon announce the arrival of Kepa Arrizabalaga, on loan and from Chelsea, where he landed in 2018 for 80 million. Under the sticks, the team has been left alone with Andriy Lunin, who does not offer the maximum guarantees after three years in the first team, and the goals of the youth academy.
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