Real Madrid suffer huge injury scare ahead of Atletico Madrid second leg | OneFootball

Real Madrid centre-back Antonio Rudiger is expected to miss this weekend's league match through illness, putting his involvement in the decisive Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday in doubt.

Rudiger has been one of the few Madrid defenders to avoid serious injury this season. The German centre-back was sidelined for a four-game spell last month with a muscular problem but returned to oversee consecutive European victories at home to Manchester City and, earlier this week, Atletico.

However, the talismanic defender is now a major doubt for Madrid's league meeting with Rayo Vallecano on Sunday afternoon, according to AS. Rudiger missed Saturday's training session with flu-like symptoms and is also nursing discomfort in one of his knees, clouding his involvement in the second leg of Madrid's last-16 tie against Atletico in uncertainty. Real hold a slender 2-1 advantage heading into next week's away match.

Carlo Ancelotti would not be drawn on Rudiger's fitness in his pre-game press conference, but did confirm the continued availability of Federico Valverde. The admirably durable and versatile Uruguayan played through the pain barrier to deliver an inspired performance against Atletico in midweek which left Ancelotti speechless.

Despite experiencing discomfort, Valverde is expected to play this weekend wherever Ancelotti deems fit. "He's fine, available," the Italian coach assured fans. "He arrived just before Atleti, but he's improved and is in good condition. He can play.

"I know where he likes to play the least, as a right winger," Ancelotti said of Valverde, a natural midfielder. "He likes to be a pivot or an inside midfielder and as a full-back too. In the future he will be one of the best, or he already is, he's the best midfielder in the world, the best full-back... But his future is going to be in the middle of the field."

David Alaba will likely line up alongside Raul Asencio for Madrid against Rayo this weekend in the expected absence of Rudiger. Yet, it remains to be seen whether the Austrian defender, who is returning from a serious ACL injury of his own, would be fit enough to start against Atletico just three days later.