Carlo Ancelotti not expecting any January signings for Real Madrid due to David Alaba recovery | OneFootball

Real Madrid are down to the bare bones in defence this winter, with only Jesus Vallejo and Antonio Rudiger available as natural central defenders for Carlo Ancelotti. Castilla product Raul Asencio is expected to feature in the coming weeks, but Ancelotti is not holding out hope for the signings he desires in the winter window.

Ancelotti has made it clear to the club’s hierarchy that he considers signings necessary to compete on all fronts this season, but will not make demands. Relevo say that Ancelotti is not expecting to have any reinforcements at his disposal, and is preparing to use Aurelien Tchouameni in his backline for the rest of the season. It will mean using Eduardo Camavinga more regularly at the base of midfield.

That checks out with Diario AS‘ information, which says that the recovery of David Alaba will lead Real Madrid to avoid any January additions. The Austrian is finally making meaningful progress with his knee injury, and is now expected to return in January. The club feel that with Rudiger, Tchouameni (back at the end of November) and Alaba, with Asencio as an emergency option, Ancelotti has sufficient ammunition for the second half of the season.

Alaba is finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel in their words, although it is noted that his meniscus has complicated his recovery, and is not dissimilar to the issues faced by the recently retired Raphael Varane. Every two weeks he travels to Innsbruck in his native Austria to be examined by doctor Christian Fink, who has been trusted by the player with his recovery.

The fear for fans and Ancelotti in that case would be that one of their three trusted options suffers another injury too. Rudiger has been under increasing strain, Alaba will have to be brought back slowly and Tchouameni does not have a clean record of fitness over the past two years.