Real Madrid News
Antonio Rudiger: ‘I put my own health aside and wanted to be 100% for Real Madrid’
Antonio Rudiger has put an end to months of uncertainty surrounding his fitness by sharing an update that will come as a major boost for Real Madrid.
The German defender, who has struggled with recurring injury problems over the past months, has now confirmed that he is fully fit again and ready to perform at the highest level.
Speaking in an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (h/t AS), Rudiger addressed his current condition and the relief of overcoming a difficult period.
“I can finally play full matches without any problems,” he began.
Opening up on the matter
Explaining further on what he has gone through, Rudiger opened up about how challenging the last year has been physically.
He revealed that playing through pain had become a necessity at one stage.
“I feel really good and I’m relieved that my medical treatments are over. Since August-September 2024, there’s always been something wrong.
“I can finally play full matches without any problems. Especially last season, I could only play and train if I took painkillers.
“Things got worse this year in January, and I knew I had to take a break because the World Cup is coming up in the summer. But now I’m back at 100%.”
Club over health
Looking at his past, it becomes clearer when considering the sacrifices he made for the team.
After undergoing knee surgery at the end of last season, Rudiger admitted that he prioritised the club over his own health.
“I put my own health aside and wanted to be 100% for Real Madrid because there’s nothing I hate more than letting my teammates down.
“Would I do it again? Probably. However, after my surgery in 2025, I also gained a better understanding of when things are getting out of hand.”
The Getafe incident
Beyond fitness, Rudiger also addressed criticism surrounding his aggressive style of play, particularly after he clashed with Getafe defender Diego Rico.
The German defender has been under scrutiny ever since the event, but he says that intensity is central to his identity as a player.
“Being a tough defender is part of my DNA. If you want to be a specialist in one-on-one situations at this level, you can’t be a nice teammate.
“You have to make the striker feel: ‘Today is going to be a rough day for you.’ If I didn’t play with that intensity and commitment, I’d be half as good.
“That pushing the limits is exactly what brought me to Real Madrid.
“Without it, I wouldn’t be here, I wouldn’t have won the Champions League twice, and I wouldn’t have played so many games for my country,” he concluded.
With the international break done and dusted, Real Madrid will be back in action this weekend in La Liga, where they will be looking to catch up to league leaders FC Barcelona.
Coming up for Jose Mourinho & co., who lost their last game before the international break, will be a home game against Villarreal on Saturday.
And, leading up to the game, the Spanish capital club have received welcome news on the injury front.
Mbappe back in group training
Indeed, as per MARCA, Kylian Mbappe will be available for Real Madrid’s match against Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
Having been training individually so far this week, the France captain rejoined group training under Mourinho today, taking a concrete step forward towards making himself available for the game.
The forward looked relaxed and ready to work, putting his boots back on and joining the group as Real Madrid prepare for a demanding run of fixtures throughout October.
And, unless there is any unforeseen setback, everything suggests that Mbappe will be ready to start against the Yellow Submarine come Saturday.
Under scrutiny
The past few weeks have been nothing short of eventful for Mbappe, with his every action and movement under heavy scrutiny.
Playing for France, in Zinedine Zidane’s managerial debut, the 27-year-old superstar scored a goal before asking for a substitution due to a knee injury.
Having flown back to Madrid, he underwent tests, which confirmed the injury, although it was not as serious as was initially feared.
The forward then took week-long holiday with his partner that sparked some debate among supporters and attracted criticism from multiple quarters.
Mbappe returned to Madrid on Monday and participated in individual sessions at Valdebebas over the past couple of days. Now he has resumed normal training with his teammates.
There had been doubts over whether Mbappe would be able to face Villarreal after he picked up the injury on 25 September.
However, the recovery plan followed by the forward appears to have worked, and he is now expected to be in a fully fit condition for Saturday’s match.
