“Militão Injury Changes Everything for Madrid” says Alonso
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso admitted the club faces a full-blown defensive crisis after Éder Militão limped out of their 2 to 0 defeat to Celta Vigo on Sunday. The setback arrives at the worst possible moment, with Manchester City coming to the Bernabéu in the Champions League this week.
Militão pulled up after a desperate recovery challenge inside the opening half hour and immediately signaled for help. Two members of the medical team assisted him off the pitch before Antonio Rüdiger came on in the 24th minute. The timing could hardly be worse. Madrid already trail Barcelona by four points in LaLiga after Celta punished them with two second half goals and a chaotic ending that included red cards for Fran García and Álvaro Carreras.
The Brazilian defender has endured a brutal injury run in recent seasons, including anterior cruciate ligament tears in both the 2023 to 24 and 2024 to 25 campaigns. Sunday’s incident now raises serious doubts about his availability for Wednesday’s Champions League showdown, followed by LaLiga matches against Alavés and Sevilla before the Christmas break.
Alonso did not hide his frustration after the defeat, pointing to Militão’s departure as a turning point. The coach said it “hurt us” and admitted the team found it “hard to recover” once their defensive line had to be reshuffled. He described the performance as far from what he expected and urged the squad to “move on as quickly as possible” ahead of their meeting with City.
This is more than just another injury. Madrid’s defensive options are stretched to breaking point. Dean Huijsen and David Alaba remain sidelined. Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander Arnold and Ferland Mendy are unavailable. Rüdiger has only just returned to training. Alonso is facing the prospect of entering the biggest match of Madrid’s season with one senior centre back at full fitness.
The question now is not simply who starts, but how Madrid can maintain structural stability against one of the most aggressive attacking teams in Europe. Without Militão’s pace and anticipation, the back line loses its most explosive defender. Does Alonso shift to a more conservative shape, or trust academy players in a Champions League knockout fixture?
Fans will also wonder how long the club can endure this pattern. Multiple long term injuries across the same department raise questions about workload, recovery management and squad balance. Madrid have been here before, but this cluster of absences feels uniquely damaging given the timing.
Militão’s previous ACL injuries already made 2024 feel like a rebuilding year for him. Madrid’s plan was to slowly reintegrate him alongside Alaba and Rüdiger, giving the team depth for a stretch of games that included domestic and European commitments. Instead, the defensive group has fallen apart piece by piece.
Other top clubs have survived similar crises in recent years. Liverpool famously lost all senior centre backs in 2020, forced to rely on academy players during a Champions League run. But Madrid’s situation is arguably more precarious because of the quality of upcoming opposition and the tight domestic title race.
Madrid will learn the full extent of Militão’s injury in the coming hours, but the damage to their preparations is already clear. With Manchester City looming and a tight schedule ahead, Alonso must find answers quickly. Whether this becomes a defining setback or a moment that galvanizes the squad will shape the narrative of Madrid’s season.