Real Madrid's David Alaba suffers ACL knee injury after Villarreal clash

Real Madrid defender, David Alaba, has suffered a major setback as he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee during the team's 4-1 victory over Villarreal on Sunday.

Unfortunately, the injury is expected to keep him out of action for about eight months, which could mean he might miss the rest of the 2023-24 season and next summer's European Championship.

The 31-year-old defender's participation in Euro 2024 seems uncertain as the tournament is scheduled to begin in just seven months, The Athletic reported.

Real Madrid is now expected to sign a replacement defender during the January transfer window.

A statement from the club on Alaba’s injury read: “Following tests carried out on our player David Alaba, he has been diagnosed with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The player will undergo surgery in the coming days.”

Following Alaba's injury, the head coach Carlo Ancelotti said: “The medical report says it’s an ACL injury. It’s a shame, we are very sad. Another player has gone down. I’ve never had three ACL injuries in four months, it’s unbelievable.

“We have nothing to do but let the team continue to do what it has done with all the injuries we’ve had. We’ve done even more than everyone thought we would."

Meanwhile, Alaba's teammates sent him messages of support.

In a post-match interview, Real's Rodrigo commented on Alaba's injury, saying: "We have to wait for Alaba's tests, but he was very sad when we saw him at half-time."

Additionally, the team's midfielder showed support for Alaba in a simple post on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

Alaba had made 16 appearances for the club in all competitions this season, providing two assists.

Real will also assess full-back Ferland Mendy tomorrow, after the 28-year-old was substituted during the same game. He was replaced by Fran Garcia with discomfort in his right leg.