Real Madrid News
Real Madrid defender taken off with an injury against Liverpool
Having made a disastrous start to their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first-leg tie against Liverpool, Real Madrid have been dealt with an injury setback as David Alaba has been subbed off in the first period.
The 30-year-old started at left-back at Anfield and looked extremely uncomfortable against Mohamed Salah in the opening exchanges.
25 minutes into the first period, with the scoreline at 2-1 in favour of Liverpool, Alaba went down on the pitch and after taking a look at the Austrian international, the medical staff immediately called for a change.
Carlo Ancelotti replaced the former Bayern Munich ace with veteran utility man Nacho Fernandez.
As for Alaba, the veteran defender has had fitness problems this season and has already missed seven matches earlier this year due to a muscle injury.
In all, the 30-year-old has played 29 matches across all competitions for Los Blancos this term, scoring two goals and setting up three more. However, his form has appeared to have taken a dip in comparison to his debut campaign in 2021/22.
Real Madrid will be hoping that the latest injury is not something serious and that Alaba is able to make a quick recovery, especially at a time when crucial fixtures are lying ahead of the team week after week.
Real Madrid will be looking to pick up their fifth win of the 2026/27 La Liga season when they take on Elche CF at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero later tonight.
With 12 points from five games, Los Blancos are currently second in the league table, three points below leaders FC Barcelona.
As such, the Spanish capital club will be eager to get the win and close the gap to the top.
Guler starts, Bellingham rested
Ahead of kickoff, Real Madrid have announced the starting lineup that will take the field against Elche, with Jose Mourinho making some important changes.
For starters, Arda Guler is back in the lineup after appearing as a substitute in the win over Rayo Vallecano.
Interestingly, however, he starts in the attacking midfield role, with Mourinho opting to rest Jude Bellingham, who has started all of Real Madrid’s games so far.
That also means that Yan Diomande retains his place in the team, starting for a second time in a row on the right wing. Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. continue in their respective positions in attack.
Another notable change sees Aurelien Tchouameni make his first start of the season after recovering from injury and making two appearances off the bench.
He replaces Bernardo Silva as Federico Valverde’s partner in the middle of the park.
Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marc Cucurella come in as full-backs, while Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen slot in at centre-back in front of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
📋✅ ¡Nuestro XI inicial!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) September 15, 2026
🆚 @ElcheCF
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