Alaba of Real Madrid will return 13 months following an ACL injury

More than a year after suffering a catastrophic knee injury, Real Madrid defender David Alaba may participate in Sunday’s La Liga match against Las Palmas at the Santiago Bernabeu, manager Carlo Ancelotti announced on Saturday.

An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture in his left knee during a league game has kept the Austrian international out of action since December 2023. May 2024 saw the 32-year-old have more knee surgery.

Since moving from Bayern Munich to Real Madrid in July 2021, the center-back has made 102 appearances, tallying five goals and nine assists.

“(Alaba) is all right. Yesterday, he played forty minutes and felt good about himself. Ancelotti told reporters, “Obviously, he needs a little rhythm; the knee responds well.” “He won’t start tomorrow but he can get some minutes.”

Real was held to a 1-1 tie in August against Las Palmas. With Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal out due to ACL injuries, Real Madrid’s backline is already fragile, therefore Alaba’s return to the team will help.

Alaba made the squad roster, but talisman Vinicius Jr. was exempt from punishment despite being sent off during Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory against Valencia in their most recent league game.

Real Madrid, the reigning league champions, are in second place with forty-three points, but despite their standing, Ancelotti has come under fire following Barcelona’s 5-2 thumping of them in the Spanish Super Cup last week in Saudi Arabia.

Fans at the Bernabeu jeered when they defeated Celta Vigo in a grueling extra-time match on Thursday in their Copa del Rey round-of-16 match, which came after the loss in Jeddah.

He still had the full support of the club, according to Ancelotti.

“This squad is still fighting and will not give up. It’s part of my profession to be questioned, therefore it doesn’t affect me. The Italian coach, who is 65 years old, stated, “I feel like the club is still supporting me.”

“You lose your edge and stop learning if you believe you know everything, which isn’t the case for me. I need to get better at a lot of things. It’s my fault when we don’t play well at times.

“The match against Barcelona was my responsibility, and it’s fair and justified for the fans to criticize me but the fans haven’t forgotten what we have achieved.”

The reigning champions Real Madrid, now in 20th place in the Champions League, will play RB Salzburg on Wednesday.