Real Madrid has been left with little to play for this season. The Whites suffered a resounding defeat in the Champions League quarter-finals against Arsenal. They were knocked out of their favorite competition, looking very inferior to Mikel Arteta’s side, who won 5-1 on aggregate. After the blow, they turned their attention to the Copa del Rey, but Barça won that in a good game that was decided in the final stages of extra time.
With this scenario, the only option for the Whites is to cling to La Liga, which looks complicated as Barça are four points ahead and have both the head-to-head record and the overall goal difference. There is one Clásico left between the two sides on Sunday 11 May at Montjuic, which looks vital in deciding the champion.
In addition, once LaLiga is over, Real Madrid also has the incentive of fighting for the Club World Cup. This is a new title that the Whites want to add to their trophy cabinet and, as with LaLiga, it has been complicated by the many injuries that the team has suffered.
Absentees for the Club World Cup
Throughout the season, Real Madrid’s infirmary has always had many occupants. Since the start of the season, Dani Carvajal has been out of action with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, torn lateral collateral ligament, and torn popliteal tendon in his right leg, and Eder Militao has suffered a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament, affecting both menisci in his right leg.
Both players have worked very hard and are nearing the end of their recovery in order to be fit for the World Cup. The team will need them because the last few days have been catastrophic in terms of injuries. In the last 48 hours, Rüdiger, Alaba, and Mendy have all undergone surgery.
In principle, the German center back will miss the rest of the domestic competition, but he should be available for the club tournament. However, it remains to be seen in what condition he will be and whether the excruciating pain he was suffering has improved. On the other hand, Alaba’s operation went well and he is expected to be out for 6-8 weeks. The club is confident that he will make it to the Club World Cup.
The same cannot be said for Ferland Mendy, who has also undergone surgery. The full-back has suffered a tear of the proximal tendon of the rectus femoris in his right quadriceps. Mendy will be out for between 10 and 12 weeks. He will not make it to the Club World Cup.
In addition to the injuries, it remains to be seen what will happen with two players whose contracts are expiring, Lucas Vázquez and Luka Modric. There is talk that both have had their contracts extended so that they can play in the Club World Cup regardless of what happens with their contracts afterwards.
The ‘signings’ from the youth academy
With a depleted defense ahead of the Club World Cup, Real Madrid has to make decisions. In addition to the expected arrival of Trent Alexander-Arnold ahead of the tournament to strengthen the back line, the Whites will have to draw on their youth academy to compete in the World Cup. José Félix Díaz has told Marca which players will be promoted to the first team to help out during this competition.
“Yusi and Valde will be responsible for helping Fran García at left-back for Real Madrid for the rest of the season,” the journalist revealed in Marca, also confirming the presence of Jacobo Ramón, Mario Rivas, and Diego Aguado.