Real Madrid are running the risk of succumbing to a late-season collapse and signs are not good at the moment.
The club were recently held to a draw by Rayo Vallecano – a game where two-star players picked up bookings and are thereby suspended for the Sevilla match.
In fact, Real Madrid are heading into the Sevilla clash without the services of multiple star players, either due to injury or suspension. One of them is Antonio Rudiger.
The German international has not played for Real Madrid since early February owing to a hamstring injury.
Rudiger unlikely to be back by next week
It was reported earlier in the week that Rudiger could recover from his hamstring knock and return to the field for next weekend’s Sevilla encounter.
But according to Spanish journalist Arancha Rodriguez, there is a very little chance of Rudiger returning to full fitness by next week.
Arancha addressed this through a tweet on social media platform X, shortly after Real Madrid’s draw with Rayo Vallecano.
A big blow for Real Madrid?
Rudiger’s absence in the upcoming game against Sevilla could be catastrophic for Real Madrid, who are already missing out on the services of key defensive figures such as Carvajal, Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba, and Eder Militao.
Due to Rudiger’s absence, Carlo Ancelotti was forced to play Carvajal in a central role in the recent past. But even that won’t be an option for next weekend.
The Italian, therefore, must get even more creative. One solution will be to ascend one of the youth players into the starting eleven, simply due to the lack of first-team options.
There are other players in the team who can operate as a makeshift center-back. But given the importance of the encounter, Ancelotti would perhaps prefer a natural option in the position.