Real Madrid defensive duo set to miss Copa del Rey final, doubts for Man City clash
Real Madrid defenders David Alaba and Ferland Mendy are set to miss close to a month of action due to injuries, according to a report by MARCA. The two players are likely to miss the Copa del Rey final in early May and are doubtful for the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg against Manchester City as well. Mendy sustained an injury during Real Madrid's 2-1 defeat to Barcelona last month, while Alaba was injured in the club's second-leg tie against Chelsea in the UCL. Earlier, it was reported that Alaba would be out for two weeks and could return in time for the Copa del Rey final. However, the latest report suggests that both Alaba and Mendy will be unavailable for the big final against Osasuna on May 6, while they could also be out of the UCL semi-final first-leg tie at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti faces a real worry as he cannot count on Eder Militao, who is suspended due to an accumulation of cards, for the first clash against Manchester City. The likely solution for the manager is to utilise both Nacho Fernandez and Eduardo Camavinga in defence against Pep Guardiola’s side. Hence, Dani Carvajal and Camavinga are expected to start as the full-backs at the Santiago Bernabeu, while Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez would man the central defence.
Real Madrid will play both the Copa del Rey Final and the UCL semi-final within 72 hours of each other. This constraint in resources and lack of time to recover becomes worrying for the manager. UEFA are unwilling to postpone the defending champions’ fixture at any cost. As the first leg is a home encounter for Los Blancos, it will be crucial that they look to secure a solid advantage before they travel to the Etihad Stadium a week later. The upcoming UCL fixture is the defending champions’ most demanding one, and Ancelotti needs to come up with a strong plan to make up for the absence of the key defenders.
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