Real Madrid defender’s return in time for Man City second leg clash ‘almost impossible’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid are gearing up for tough times ahead as the club have been dealt with yet another injury of a key player.

This time around, it is Antonio Rudiger who has picked up a fresh hamstring knock that has ruled him out on the sidelines for at least three weeks.

Initial reports that ruled out a serious injury suggested that Rudiger could be available for Real Madrid’s upcoming Champions League second leg tie against Manchester City.

Rudiger unlikely to play against Man City

However, as time progresses, it appears more and more unlikely that Rudiger will be able to participate against the Premier League champions.

According to a recent report from Diario AS, Rudiger’s availability against Man City is ‘almost impossible’ as the defender will be out for a slightly longer period than initially anticipated.

Rudiger’s absence will be a key blow for Real Madrid (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The report indicates that Rudiger could be out for a period of around 17 days. To Real Madrid’s fortune, the games against Man City are scheduled much earlier than that.

That means the German international is set to miss two of Real Madrid’s most crucial matches of the year so far.

The report, in fact, adds that the former Stuttgart defender might even miss the league game against Girona, which is scheduled for February 22.

With Rudiger unlikely to be available in the coming weeks, the onus will be on David Alaba to step up to the occasion and offer some much-needed support and leadership at the back.

Recent reports even suggest that Alaba could be set for his start after returning from injury, in the upcoming game against Leganes.