According to journalist Edu Aguirre, key Real Madrid players Vinicius Jr. and Antonio Rudiger are almost expected to face Girona when they meet the title challengers on Saturday, February 10.
On the other hand, veteran defender Nacho is virtually out of the game because he did not practice with the team yesterday and instead worked inside on personal conditioning.
Whatever happened to Vinicius and Rudiger?
Vinicius Junior was initially unclear due to a physical issue that occurred during the warm-up session prior to the Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid rivalry match.
Despite being listed on the bench, the Brazil international did not appear in the match, which ended 1–1.
Following this setback, the Brazilian forward returned to the gym as the club began their preparations, with an eye on the impending vital match against Girona, in which La Liga leadership is at stake.
Vinicius and Nacho trained together on Wednesday at Valdebebas Sports City’s facilities. Meanwhile, Rudiger, another player dealing with physical issues, practiced individually.
Rudiger had been experiencing discomfort since the encounter against Getafe, which resulted from a collision with Mason Greenwood.
Given the difficulties in the center position, there was conjecture that Ancelotti might have to rely on a makeshift centre-back partnership.
Ancelotti used an emergency solution in the previous encounter against Atletico Madrid, putting Dani Carvajal alongside Nacho in the centre owing to unforeseen circumstances.
Nacho misses, but will return for the Champions League tie.
Nacho is unlikely to play against Girona, as the club, while not fully ruling him out, has a slim chance that intensive physiotherapy over the next two days can result in a miracle recovery.
However, such an outcome would constitute a miracle. The severity of his injuries exceeds initial estimates; while there is no fracture, there is a severe strain that requires a few days of rest. Madrid prefers to minimize needless risks, which is why he was rested for the Girona match.
The focus is on securing Nacho’s availability for Tuesday’s match against RB Leipzig. The club prioritizes this encounter over the Girona game.
Ancelotti is considering taking a gamble with injured Real Madrid defense, according to reports.
Real Madrid has been plagued by injuries throughout the season, with the centre-back position being the most severely afflicted.
Eder Militao injured his ACL on the opening matchday of the season, forcing him to sit out for an extended period of time.
David Alaba had some fitness concerns before suffering an ACL injury at the end of 2023 and being declared out for the season, leaving Carlo Ancelotti with only Nacho Fernandez and Antonio Rudiger as healthy senior defenders.
