Big Blow For Real Madrid Ahead Of Spanish Super Cup Semi-Final vs Atletico Madrid
It's the day of Real Madrid's Spanish Super Cup semi-final against rivals Atletico Madrid. The winner will face Barcelona, who eased past Athletic Club in the first semi-final.
Head coach Xabi Alonso will likely have a good idea of his starting XI, possibly not wanting to change the side too much after the impressive win over Real Betis. However, there is reportedly injury news that could mean a big player misses the game.
According to a report from MARCA, there are serious doubts around the fitness of center-back Antonio Rudiger. The German did not train with the team in the final training session before the game. It is said that Alonso and the staff will make a decision as late as possible.
Antonio Rudiger suffering from discomfort
According to the report, Antonio Rudiger is suffering from knee discomfort ahead of the Semi-final against their Madrid rivals. The center-back has completed a solo training session, but did not train with the team.
The German defender played very well alongside Raul Asencio against Real Betis. He looked guaranteed to start the game, but if he is ruled out, it would be a huge blow for Alonso, missing out on that experience in the back four.
MORE: Transcript: Xabi Alonso Discusses Injuries Ahead Of Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid
There is some good news: Dean Huijsen, who missed the Betis game with an injury, is back in the squad. It was the big question regarding the lineup. Would he come in and replace Raul Asencio? If Rudiger misses the game, then Los Blancos may have to rely on a young center-back partnership of Asencio and Huijsen.
David Alaba is also back in the squad, but he has not played since October 19. The Austrian has been on the bench for the past two games, so he can play if needed. Midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni has played center-back before, but Alonso does not appear to like it.
There is also the option of left-back Álvaro Carreras playing at left center-back, something he has done a couple of times this season. I would guess limiting the changes would be the most important thing for Alonso, so Huijsen being a straight swap if Rudiger is out feels like the move we will see.
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Jordan Merritt is a staff writer for Real Madrid On SI. Before joining On SI, he wrote at Fansided, covering Ole Miss football, basketball, and baseball. He has also written for YardBarker, Heavy Sports, and the official EFL site. Merritt is a big sports fan, spending most of his weekends watching Soccer, the NFL, the NBA, college football/basketball, and others. Before starting his career as a freelance writer, Merritt was an Engineer for over 10 years. He lives in West Yorkshire, England, and is keenly interested in sports trading cards.
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