Real Madrid head into Friday’s La Liga home clash against Girona at the Santiago Bernabéu carrying a trimmed but still significant injury list, with coach Álvaro Arbeloa able to call upon a largely fit attacking unit while the defensive and goalkeeping departments continue to cause concern.
Confirmed people who didn’t show up: Confirmed Absentees
Thibaut Courtois is still the player who will hurt the team the most in the long run. The Belgian goalkeeper will be out for at least another month, meaning he won’t be able to play in the whole month of April, which is a very important time in the season. Andriy Lunin will continue to fill in for him. Rodrygo is also out. The Brazilian will not play against Girona, along with Courtois, after missing the first leg of the Champions League match against Bayern Munich earlier this week.
Ferland Mendy is still getting treatment for a hamstring injury. The French left-back has only played five times this season, and there is no set date for his return before Friday’s game. However, he hopes to be ready for the second leg against Bayern Munich on April 15. Franco Mastantuono, the 17-year-old Argentine star, will not play in the Girona game after receiving a yellow card in Madrid’s last league game against Mallorca. He will be back for the second leg against Bayern.
Good News About Fitness
There is support from other tea members. Jude Bellingham is back to full health and is expected to play a big role, giving Arbeloa a key creative and goal-scoring player in the middle of the field. Kylian Mbappé is ready to go and sharp, bringing his 23 goals in La Liga into one of the most important weeks of the season. Dani Ceballos is back to full training after having a calf problem and is in the running for a spot on the team, which would give the midfield more depth.
Éder Militão is another big fitness boost. The Brazilian centre-back is almost back from a hamstring injury that could have kept him out for four months. His return gives the defence line, which has been stretched all season, much-needed muscle and experience.
The Big Picture
The number of injuries this season has been a constant problem for Real Madrid’s management. The club’s management knows that defensive players like Militão, Asencio, Huijsen, Rüdiger, and Alaba have missed many games, which has a direct impact on the team’s depth and consistency on the field. People say that fitness coach Antonio Pintus’s reappointment has slowly improved the players’ conditioning. Still, a full evaluation won’t be possible until the end of the season, when injury rates are tracked through the most important part of the season.
Arbeloa needs every player to be at their best with eight La Liga matchdays left and the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final coming up. The game against Girona on Friday is a chance to get back on track and build up your confidence before the trip to Bavaria.
