UCL: Fresh injury crisis hits Real Madrid ahead of Liverpool showdown at Anfield

Femi Fabunmi 

Real Madrid will be without four key players when they face Liverpool in Tuesday’s Champions League group stage match at Anfield.

The Spanish club confirmed that 18-year-old Franco Mastantuono has been ruled out due to pubalgia, a groin injury.

The young Argentine forward, who joined from River Plate in the summer, has already played 12 times for Madrid this season, scoring once and assisting another.

“Following tests carried out today on Franco Mastantuono, he has been diagnosed with pubalgia. His recovery will be monitored,” the club said in a statement.

Mastantuono’s recovery time has not been specified, and he will be reassessed before Sunday’s La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano.

Defenders Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba are also unavailable.

Rudiger remains sidelined with a muscular injury, while Alaba has not yet recovered from a calf problem. Right-back Dani Carvajal is still out after undergoing knee surgery.

Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold has returned to full fitness but has not played in Real Madrid’s last two games following a hamstring injury. Head coach Xabi Alonso confirmed that he is available for selection.

“He’s fine and can play tomorrow. We need him because he has great quality,” Alonso said during his pre-match press conference. However, Federico Valverde is expected to start at right-back due to Alexander-Arnold’s recent lack of game time.

Alonso, who played for Liverpool between 2004 and 2009, described his return to Anfield as emotional.

“It always feels good to come back to a place where you were loved. I learned so much there — not just about football, but also about life. I’ll try not to let emotions distract me so I can stay focused,” he said.

Real Madrid have won all three of their Champions League matches so far this season and currently sit fifth overall in the league phase with nine points.

Real Madrid Squad vs Liverpool:
Courtois, Lunin, Gonzalez; Militao, Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Carreras, F. Garcia, Mendy, Huijsen; Bellingham, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni, Guler, Ceballos; Vinicius, Endrick, Mbappe, Rodrygo, Gonzalo, Brahim.