Real Madrid defender David Alaba could play in Sunday's LaLiga game against Las Palmas at the Santiago Bernabeu, more than a year after sustaining a serious knee injury, manager Carlo Ancelotti said on Saturday.
The Austria international has been sidelined since December 2023 after suffering an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) rupture in his left knee during a league game. The 32-year-old underwent more knee surgery in May 2024.
The centre-back has scored five goals and registered nine assists in 102 appearances for Real since joining in July 2021 from Bayern Munich.
"(Alaba) is fine. He played 40 minutes yesterday, with a good feeling. Obviously he needs a bit of rhythm; the knee responds well," Ancelotti told reporters. "He won’t start tomorrow but he can get some minutes."
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Real were held to a 1-1 draw at Las Palmas in August. Alaba's return to the squad will be a boost for Real, with their backline already weakened by the absences of Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal due to ACL injuries.
While Alaba was included in the squad list, talisman Vinicius Jr was not due to suspension after receiving a red card in Real's 2-1 win at Valencia in their last league match.
Defending league champions Real are second with 43 points but despite their position Ancelotti has faced criticism after the 5-2 humiliation by rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup last week in Saudi Arabia.
The defeat in Jeddah was followed by a laboured extra-time win over Celta Vigo on Thursday in their Copa del Rey round-of-16 clash, which led to boos from the fans at the Bernabeu.
📋✅ Our squad for the match!
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) January 18, 2025
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Ancelotti said he still had the club’s full backing.
"This team is alive and will fight until the end. I'm not hurt by being questioned; it's part of my job. I feel just as supported by the club as ever," the 65-year-old Italian coach said.
"If you think you know everything — which isn’t my case — you stop learning and lose your edge. I need to improve in many areas. There are times when we don't play well, and that's on me.
"The match against Barcelona was my responsibility, and it’s fair and justified for the fans to criticise me but the fans haven’t forgotten what we have achieved."
In the Champions League, defending champions Real Madrid are 20th and host RB Salzburg on Wednesday.