Ancelotti’s nightmare: Real Madrid left scrambling with only 16 players for Leganes and Liverpool | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s injury crisis is proving to be more serious than the club initially expected, as highlighted by Mario de la Riva in AS.

While Carlo Ancelotti welcomes the return of Thibaut Courtois, the team is grappling with a worrying number of injuries.

Six key players are currently sidelined: David Alaba, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Aurelien Tchouameni, Rodrygo, and Lucas Vazquez. This leaves Ancelotti with just 16 available players for crucial upcoming matches against Leganes and Liverpool.

Numbers are troubling

To put the extent of the problem into perspective, Real Madrid’s first team has suffered 21 injuries so far this season. This figure excludes the case of goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who was sidelined by gastroenteritis, or it would have been 22.

Thibaut Courtois will return against Leganes. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

Additionally, Cesar Palacios, a Castilla player, also sustained a serious injury while on the US tour, tearing his cruciate ligament. Compared to previous seasons, this year has been particularly tough. At this point in the 2022-2023 season, the team had six fewer injuries.

For what it is worth, the most concerning injuries have been in the defence. In particular, Alaba has been out for an extended period and is nearing the end of his recovery process.

Meanwhile, both Carvajal and Militao have sustained severe knee injuries, with torn cruciate ligaments in their right knees, which will keep them sidelined for a considerable time.

However, there is a silver lining. No other injury this season has kept a player out for more than a month and a half. The longest absence has been that of Eduardo Camavinga, who missed exactly six weeks due to a knee sprain.

These injuries could not have come at a more difficult time, as Ancelotti now faces a relentless schedule of matches that will test the depth and resilience of the squad.