Real Madrid boosted by Rodrygo return for Getafe game
Injury-plagued Real Madrid has been handed a boost with Brazil winger Rodrygo’s return, manager Carlo Ancelotti said on the eve of Sunday’s La Liga match at home to Getafe.
The 23-year-old was forced off with a muscle injury in its 4-0 thrashing of Osasuna at the Bernabeu earlier in November.
Real defenders David Alaba, Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal are out with anterior cruciate ligament injuries, while forward Vinicius Jr and midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni are sidelined due to a muscle and ankle problem respectively.
Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga joined that list after sustaining a hamstring injury during the 2-0 defeat by Liverpool in the Champions League at Anfield on Wednesday.
“Rodrygo will be back tomorrow, Tchouameni will be back next game and Camavinga will be back soon,” Ancelotti told reporters on Saturday.
Having won La Liga and the Champions League last season, second-placed Real, who have 30 points from 13 matches, will aim to keep leader Barcelona within touching distance when it hosts 15th-placed Getafe, which has 13.
READ | List of players injured at Real Madrid as Camavinga becomes the latest name
“In many years of my career only one year has been quite easy, last year. All the other years I have had to solve problems, sooner or later the problems come,” Ancelotti said.
“It is impossible to think of a season like last year when everything went perfectly. It’s better to find the problem in November or December than in April or May … Now the problem can be solved and, as I said, we are going to solve it.
“We are fighting for the league against a rival that is doing very well. The (Club) World Cup is coming, the Super Cup … and above all the injured players are coming back …
“We have to endure the moment with a good attitude and commitment, because the good things are yet to come.”
The Italian continued to back 25-year-old France forward Kylian Mbappe, who had another subdued performance in Real’s loss to Liverpool as he failed to trouble the Premier League club’s defence and missed a penalty in the second half.
“He’s aware that he has to do better, but he and everyone. We have to keep supporting him and think that it’s a collective problem but not an individual one,” Ancelotti said.
“The team’s dynamic in La Liga has improved a lot in the last two games, we have to bear in mind that we are missing a lot of players. Rodrygo returns tomorrow and we must be patient.”
