Real Madrid’s quest for silverware this season has taken a dramatic twist just days before their highly anticipated Copa del Rey final against arch-rivals Barcelona. After battling their way to a narrow 1-0 win over Getafe, Carlo Ancelotti’s men face a new crisis—not one, but two crucial players are now all but ruled out of the clash in Seville.
With the ghosts of past defeats to Barcelona still looming—a 4-0 loss at the Santiago Bernabeu and a 5-2 hammering in the Super Cup—the stakes were already high. But the latest developments have left Madrid’s plans hanging by a thread.
On paper, Wednesday’s win looked like a straightforward result. Arda Guler scored the only goal, keeping Los Blancos within four points of league leaders Barcelona. But beneath the surface, the cost was far greater than the reward.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti’s post-match words painted a grim picture: “We will see tomorrow what the medical exams say but [Alaba and Camavinga] both suffered leg muscle injuries and it looks very unlikely for them to make it to Saturday’s final,” he said in the press conference.
Despite Kylian Mbappe and Ferland Mendy returning, Ancelotti has a defensive jigsaw to solve, especially with the added threat of Barcelona’s teenage phenomenon, Lamine Yamal, expected to start.
Camavinga and Alaba sidelined
The fears have been confirmed. Eduardo Camavinga has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a complete rupture of his left adductor tendon, a crushing blow to Madrid’s midfield.
“Eduardo Camavinga has been diagnosed with a complete tear of his left adductor tendon,” reported renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano on social media. Real Madrid later confirmed the diagnosis, adding that his “recovery will be assessed,” but sources close to the club estimate a three-month layoff.
