Real Madrid Reportedly Handed Yet Another Injury Blow Ahead Of Manchester City Trip
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It has been an incredibly difficult stage of the season for Real Madrid. They have won just one of their last five La Liga games, and saw Celta Vigo pick up their first win at the Bernabeu since 2006 on Sunday evening.
They have seen their five-point lead at the top of the league after the El Clasico win become a four-point deficit, with three draws and a defeat in their last five domestic outings, and performances getting worse.
But it has not just been results and performances that have made it a difficult time for Los Blancos. As always, there is plenty of off-pitch noise, with many players, namely Vinicius, said to not have a good relationship with Xabi Alonso.
💪 Getting ready for @ManCity! pic.twitter.com/K6NyWPrOVm
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) December 8, 2025
Furthermore, there has been a big injury crisis. Right-backs Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold are out until January and February, respectively, whilst left-back Ferland Mendy is also reported to be out until the new year.
Meanwhile, Eder Militao picked up an injury in the defeat to Celta Vigo, and it is suggested that the defender will be out until April, perhaps the biggest blow of all of the current injuries. Dean Huijsen has also missed a number of games recently, though he is expected to be back soon.
Kylian Mbappe Suffering With Muscle Injury
So, just when you thought that Real Madrid couldn't get any more injuries, another report emerges. According to Arancha Rodriguez, Kylian Mbappe is a 'serious doubt' for the UEFA Champions League clash with Manchester City tomorrow evening due to muscle discomfort in his left leg.
Earlier today, Mario Cortegana reported that neither Mbappe nor Eduardo Camavinga was training with the group ahead of the clash with City. When it rains, it really does pour for Real Madrid at the moment.
It will be interesting to see what Alonso does if indeed the 26-year-old is not able to play tomorrow evening. We have not seen much game time for Gonzalo Garcia this season, but he did come on in the defeat to Celta Vigo - and had a chance to equalise late on.
Being a natural number nine, it would be a logical thing to try. Perhaps playing with a focal point could help Vinicius perform better, too. We could also see Alonso try with Jude Bellingham as a false nine, a role he has played previously during his time in the Spanish capital.
Either way, this is not optimal. The game against Pep Guardiola's side is feeling more and more like a free hit. If Mbappe is not 100% fit to play, don't play him - at least not from the start. It's better not to have him for one or two games than for one or two months. Alonso needs to be measured in his approach.
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Tom Vinall is a sports writer covering Real Madrid On SI. Previously, he had worked at FanSided as both a contributor and site expert, covering the likes of Spurs and Bayern Munich. He has also previously written for Transfer News Live. Tom was born and lives in Bristol, South West England, and loves to listen to music as well as learning Spanish.
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