Real Madrid have received an injury boost after Antonio Rudiger returned to training ahead of the club’s Champions League clash with Manchester City.
Rudiger has missed the club’s last four games with a muscular issue, including the first leg of their Champions League play-off last week. The Spaniards claimed a dramatic 3-2 win at the Etihad, ahead of the return fixture in Madrid on Wednesday night.
UCL nights 😍 #Hustle #AlwaysBelieve #Alhamdulillah pic.twitter.com/1ulyAvVVao
— Antonio Rüdiger (@ToniRuediger) January 23, 2025
Rudiger’s return to first-team training is a huge boost for Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian was forced to shuffle his pack for the first meeting amid several defensive absentees.
In the absence of Rudiger and Lucas Vázquez, midfield duo Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde featured in defence.
Last season, Rudiger was integral to Real Madrid’s defeat of Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals.
His battle with Erling Haaland saw the latter go goalless over the two legs, before Rudiger stepped up to score the winning spot-kick in Real’s penalty shootout win.
Real Madrid will be aiming to bounce back from dropped points in La Liga at the weekend. Jude Bellingham was sent off in the first half of the club’s 1-1 draw at Osasuna, that saw Ante Budimer’s penalty cancel out Kylian Mbappe’s opener.
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