Real Madrid will be without Eduardo Camavinga for their huge Champions League clash with Manchester City after the French midfielder picked up an ankle injury over the weekend.
Reports confirmed by Softfootball revealed, that Camavinga will not recover in time for the midweek tie, dealing another blow to Xabi Alonso at a very tricky moment in the season.
Camavinga was forced off during Madrid’s recent match against Athletic Club at San Mamés after a tough challenge from Álex Berenguer in the second half, forcing him to miss out on the 2-0 defeat the club suffered at the hands of Celta Vigo in La Liga.
At first, there was some quiet hope inside the club that it might be nothing too serious. But those hopes faded quickly when the 22-year-old failed to take part in open training sessions back in Madrid.
Medical checks later revealed a sprain to his left ankle. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano via his official X account, there is no major ligament damage, which comes as some relief.
He posted:
Still, the timing of the injury makes it impossible for him to feature against Manchester City. The club is now focused on making sure he is fully ready for upcoming La Liga games instead of rushing him back too early.
With Camavinga ruled out, Alonso is expected to lean heavily on Aurélien Tchouaméni and Fede Valverde to hold things together in midfield. Arda Güler, who replaced Camavinga against Athletic, is also in line for more minutes, although throwing him into such a high-pressure match carries its own risks.
The bigger concern, though, is the growing injury list at the Bernabéu. David Alaba, Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão remain sidelined, while Trent Alexander-Arnold is also unavailable.
Ferland Mendy and Dean Huijsen are doubts, and Kylian Mbappé is still dealing with muscle discomfort in his left leg. That could leave Madrid missing as many as eight first-team players.
The defensive situation is especially worrying, with young Joan Martínez even being mentioned as a possible surprise starter. All of this only adds to the pressure on Alonso as Madrid prepare for one of their most important nights of the season.
