La Liga: Real Madrid and Ancelotti injury worries deepen as Alaba becomes third player with serious knee injury

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has some tinkering to do with his defense after yet another serious injury blow.

Central defender David Alaba became the third Madrid player to sustain an anterior cruciate ligament injury on Sunday, having to be substituted before halftime in the team’s 4-1 win against Villarreal in the Spanish league.

The Austria international is expected to undergo surgery on his left knee in the coming days and is not likely to play again this season.

“We are really sad about it because he is another player that we will lose,” Ancelotti said. “I’ve never had three of my players get cruciate injuries in four months, it’s incredible.”

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defender Éder Militão also underwent surgeries to repair their knee ligaments this year, while midfielder Eduardo Camavinga and forward Arda Güler sustained other knee problems that sidelined them for significant periods. Also out for Madrid are forward Vinícius Júnior and right back Dani Carvajal.

The injury setbacks have left Ancelotti in a tough spot, having to find ways to rebuild the squad entering the decisive second half of the season.

Madrid visits Alaves on Thursday for its final match of the year. It leads the Spanish league by a point over Girona, which has a game in hand against Alaves later on Monday. Early next year Madrid begins its Copa del Rey campaign and plays in the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia. In the Champions League, Madrid will face Leipzig in the round of 16.

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“What the team has to do is exactly what it’s been doing so far,” Ancelotti said. “We’ve done more than what anyone believed we were capable of. Despite the problems, this team fights, digs in, plays some great football and shows extraordinary commitment. That’s the only way to fill in for all the guys who are out injured.”

The defense is likely to make Ancelotti lose some extra sleep. In addition to the many other absentees, left back Ferland Mendy had to be replaced at halftime on Sunday because of a muscle ailment. Ancelotti downplayed the problem, but it wasn’t clear when Mendy would return to action.

Nacho Fernández replaced Alaba on Sunday, but the only other central defender currently available for Ancelotti was Antonio Rudiger.

Ancelotti said he may need to use midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni in the middle of the defense. The France international is just returning from a foot injury, though, having made his first appearance since October as a late substitute against Villarreal on Sunday.

“Tchouaméni is our first option,” Ancelotti said. “Of course, it isn’t his natural position, but this is an emergency and I think he can fill in.”

Ancelotti will likely complete the squad with some reserve-team players, and the club may also sign someone during the winter transfer window. Ancelotti said Militao and Courtois could potentially make it back to the squad before the end of the season, but did not offer any other detail on a timetable.

“We’ll come back stronger,” Militao said after Sunday’s match while sending his support for teammate Alaba on social media.

Barcelona, trailing Madrid by seven points, will try to end a three-match winless streak on Wednesday when it hosts last-place Almeria, which is the only team yet to win in the Spanish league after 17 rounds.

Barcelona is coming off a 1-1 draw at Valencia on Saturday, a 3-2 loss to Antwerp in the Champions League on Tuesday, and a 4-2 home defeat against Girona in the league last week.

Girona, the season’s biggest surprise so far, visits seventh-place Real Betis on Thursday, while fourth-place Atletico Madrid hosts Getafe on Tuesday with a chance to win a club-record 21st straight win at home in all competitions.

Struggling Sevilla, expected to announce Quique Flores as its new coach on Monday, faces Granada on Tuesday as it tries to stay outside the relegation zone.