Real Madrid continue to collect giant bad luck, Alaba is the third player with an ACL this season. Who will replace him in the winter?

According to various statistics, it roughly works out that an ACL, a torn cruciate ligament in the knee, happens once every 4-5 years in one team. Real Madrid already counts three players with this injury this season, the latest being David Alaba.

Real Madrid suffering from serious injuries

It is the most feared injury among footballers. A torn cruciate ligament in the knee means an absence for at least 6 months and that’s the best case scenario. However, it is much more common to be out for 9-12 months, which means losing the entire season.

In addition, many players have not been able to get back to the same form after a serious injury, or it has taken them at least a long time. Meanwhile, Real Madrid lost the entire defensive trio that won them the Champions League in 2022 and was supposed to be the cornerstone this season in five months.

The first to head to the sick bay was Thibaut Courtois, who damaged his cruciate ligaments in training before the first game. Eder Militao, who also damaged his cruciate ligaments in the first match, also retired.

He is the one who should be the least serious and is expected to return around March. Courtois is expected to join training in April. And on Sunday, he added the latest to the bunch.

In the Villarreal game, David Alaba mis-stepped and the fans were in the clear. After all, they had already seen these images twice this season and probably no one doubted that the Austrian stopper had also met the worst-case scenario. The news was officially confirmed later in the evening and Alaba’s season was over.

So at the moment, Real Madrid only have two stoppers. Antonio Rüdiger and captain Nacho. That is to say, pre-season stoppers number 3 and 4. Aurélien Tchouaméni, who returned on Sunday after a two-month injury, may still come in, but that is not a long-term solution.

Alaba’s replacement

So what names are currently hanging on the board in the Valdebebas offices? Lille’s 18-year-old stopper Leny Yoro should be one of the highest. He defended PSG’s Kylian Mbappé at the weekend and, apart from converting a penalty, completely nullified him.

He has been rumoured to be the new Raphael Varane for a while now. In fact, he is extremely complex, from his speed, strength, headers, crossing and great reading of the game. It’s not for nothing that he’s already playing his second season as a Ligue 1 regular, even though he only celebrated his 18th birthday a month ago.

The other name that Los Blancos would be very keen on is Antonio Silva. The 20-year-old Benfica Lisbon stopper is one of Portugal’s biggest talents, who is already getting enough space in the Portuguese national team. Reportedly, Cristiano Ronaldo himself cares a lot about him and sees a lot of potential in him.

The third name is also from Portugal. Goncalo Inacio is also originally from Lisbon, but plays for rivals Sporting. At 22 years old, he’s already turning four in Sporting’s first season and has been a cornerstone of the starting lineup all along. He too has been getting space in the national team and he can also help with goals. He has scored three times for the club, and has a 2+2 record in 5 games in the national team’s qualifying jersey. His buyout clause is 40 million euros.

Source: Marca