Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has said that Dani Carvajal, Vinicius Junior, Eduardo Camavinga and Arda Guler should all be available for the team at the start of 2024.
Los Blancos suffered a huge injury blow against Villarreal on Sunday evening, with David Alaba rupturing his ACL, and the Austria international has now been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign.
Aurelien Tchouameni made his return from a foot injury off the bench against the Yellow Submarine, though, with the Frenchman entering the field in the 79th minute of the 4-1 success.
Ferland Mendy was substituted in the same match, with the Frenchman suffering from an overload in his adductor, while Carvajal, Vinicius, Camavinga and Guler again missed out alongside long-term absentees Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao.
Ancelotti has said that Carvajal will train on Tuesday but is unlikely to be involved against Alaves on Thursday, with his return expected to come after the winter break.
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The Real Madrid head coach also revealed that Vinicius, Camavinga and Guler should be back in early 2024, while Courtois and Militao could return before the end of the campaign.
"Carvajal is going to train on Tuesday with the team, but we are not going to risk it. Today (Sunday) Mendy preferred to stop because the adductor felt loaded and I preferred to change it so that it didn't get worse," Ancelotti told reporters after his side's 4-1 win.
"Vinicius, Camavinga and Arda Guler will be ready when we return from the holidays. Militao is recovering very well, just like Courtois. We haven't planned his return, but it could be before the season ends."
Addressing Alaba's blow, Ancelotti continued: "I haven't talked to him. The doctor says that he has an injury to the cruciate ligament. We are very sad because it is another player who falls.
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"It has never happened to me that three of my players were injured by the cruciate ligament in three months. What the team has to do is what it has done so far with all the injuries we have had. We have done even more than everyone thought."
Ancelotti also said that fit-again Tchouameni is now in line to feature in the middle of the defence alongside Antonio Rudiger.
"Tchouameni is the first choice as a central. He did very well against Osasuna. It's true that he doesn't play in that position, but this is a moment of emergency and I think he can play there," he revealed.
Real Madrid were knocked back off top position in the La Liga table on Monday evening due to Girona's 3-0 success over Alaves, with the Catalan side again moving two points clear at the summit.
Matt Law
