Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti rules out defender until 2025

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was pleased to see Vinicius Junior and David Alaba take part in their training session on Friday, but slowed any talk of an immediate return for the Austrian defender. Alaba was injured in mid-December of 2023, and has undergone two knee operations since.

Vinicius is coming back from a hamstring injury, and Ancelotti explained that he would not be back for their trip to Girona on Saturday night, but should be fit to join them to for their Champions League clash with Atalanta in Bergamo on Tuesday.

“Alaba has helped us a lot in training, but he needs another month. He will return in January. The deadline for him is next year,” Ancelotti explained.

The 33-year-old cannot come back soon enough for Los Blancos’ defence. With Eder Militao out for the rest of the year, and Jesus Vallejo not trusted, Castilla product Raul Asencio and Aurelien Tchouameni are his only makeshift options. Los Blancos had been on a run of three clean sheets in La Liga, but four goals conceded against Liverpool and Athletic Club have raised questions about their backline again.

"Seeing Vinicius is good news, he has recovered very well. He won't be ready for tomorrow, but he will be ready for the Champions League."

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