Real Madrid News
Real Madrid defender will undergo tests today to determine availability for El Clasico
Antonio Rudiger was the hero for Real Madrid on Tuesday night as he scored a late header to help his team secure a 1-1 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League.
His goal ensured that Los Blancos have now advanced to the knockout stages of the competition.
However, Rudiger’s goal came at a personal cost as the German international was involved in a scary collision with Shakhtar goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin in the sequence leading to his goal.
As a result, the former Chelsea defender picked up a nasty cut on his forehead which left him bleeding on the pitch. As reported by Diario AS, Rudiger needed 20 stitches to close the wound on his forehead.
The report further adds that the 29-year-old will undergo tests today after the team returns to Madrid from Poland to determine if there is any more damage and assess whether he can be available for the weekend fixture against Barcelona.
Rudiger was easily one of the top performers for Real Madrid in what was an underwhelming display against Shakhtar last night. And having him available for the first El Clasico of the season will be crucial for manager Carlo Ancelotti.
The Italian tactician was pretty relaxed about Rudiger’s potential injury, stating that he was doing okay after the game.
“Rudiger has a cut on his forehead. Emotionally the player is fine. He is aware, he speaks, he smiles… he is happy because he has scored an important goal,” Ancelotti said in his post-match press conference.
And Real Madrid will be hoping that test results come out positive later today and that Rudiger will be ready for El Clasico on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Los Blancos are also waiting on a medical clearance for first-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who has not played any match after the international break.
Marco Asensio is fighting for his future at Real Madrid. The 27-year-old winger is out of contract at the end of the season and there is no concrete decision made by the club over his renewal as of yet.
Some reports had suggested that the club had tabled an offer worth €4 million per year, which the Spaniard did not like as he sought a higher pay packet closer to around €6 million-a-year.
With his future a subject of intense speculation, Asensio had been linked with a move away to Premier League clubs such as Arsenal and Liverpool.
Meanwhile, closer to home, there were strong links to Real Madrid’s arch-rivals Barcelona. Indeed, the Catalans have been touted as potential suitors for Asensio for quite some time now due to the fact that he is represented by Jorge Mendes.
The superagent has close ties with Barcelona president Joan Laporta and reports in Spain have suggested that the Real Madrid winger has, indeed, been offered to the current La Liga leaders.
Amidst these speculations, however, Asensio has seemingly made it clear as to where his heart lies as he awaits a decision on his future.
During last night’s El Clasico against Barcelona, the Real Madrid winger came on as a substitute and went on to score a goal, following which he celebrated at Camp Nou, pointing to the Real Madrid logo on his shirt, showing where his allegiances lie.
The goal, however, was disallowed by the VAR, and Los Blancos ended up losing the game 2-1 thanks to a stoppage-time winner by Franck Kessie.
Earlier today, Asensio took to Instagram and posted a picture of him celebrating with his finger pointing to the Real Madrid logo, reiterating his commitment to the club amidst the links to Barcelona.
As for his disallowed goal, it sparked an angry reaction from Carlo Ancelotti, who questioned the legitimacy of the decision made by the VAR during his post-match press conference.
