Rudiger and Alaba still apart from the group at Madrid's return to work

Centre-backs Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba, both nearing the end of their muscular injuries, remained on the sidelines as Real Madrid returned to training at their training ground on Sunday morning, three days ahead of the clash with Manchester City, for which Lucas Vazquez is ruled out.

Carlo Ancelotti is confident that Rudiger will be available for Wednesday's second leg of the Champions League last-16 tie. The German centre-back, a defensive pillar for the Real Madrid boss, has been sidelined since picking up an injury against Espanyol on 1 February.

He suffered a muscle tear in the biceps femoris of his right leg that will keep him out for between two and three weeks according to the club's doctors. It has been 14 days and, for the moment, Rudiger continues to work alone with a recovery trainer without returning to the group dynamic.

In the same situation after Sunday's training session is Austrian Alaba, with whom there is greater caution due to his long recovery time from the serious knee injury he overcame (a year and a month), which was expected to cause a muscle injury as soon as he began to compete.

Having improved from the small tear he suffered in the adductor muscle of his left leg, he is already playing on the pitch and increasing his physical workload. The coaching staff are confident that he can be included in the squad, but according to EFE sources at the club, he is a doubt for the match against Manchester City, for which Lucas Vázquez, who was diagnosed on 9 February with a muscle injury in the hamstring of his left leg, has been ruled out.

 

February 16, 2025