Real Madrid News
Real Madrid receive huge injury boost ahead of Champions League semi-final vs Man City
Versatile defender David Alaba will play for Real Madrid in their UEFA Champions League semi-final first-leg tie against Manchester City, to be played at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
The former Bayern Munich defender had picked up a knock against Osasuna last week and was taken off at the stroke of half-time. Explaining his intensity, Carlo Ancelotti said that it was more of a precautionary step rather than being a forceful one.
“We are optimistic with [David] Alaba. He had a strain, we took him off as a precaution,” he explained.
While the initial thoughts were that the defender would miss the trip to Manchester, he was spotted training ahead of the first-leg tie.
The 29-year-old underwent a regular training drill on Sunday, albeit through some discomfort, and journalist Edu Aguirre has confirmed that he will play for the team on Tuesday.
On the other hand, a contrary report from SPORT has said that neither Alaba nor Casemiro have completely recovered from their respective injuries. Despite that though, the duo has been included in the travelling squad for the first-leg tie.
The aforementioned source also says the players will only train with the rest of the team on Monday once they get a green signal following definitive tests at the venue.
Alaba has been one of the most consistent performers for Real Madrid this season, having made a total of 44 appearances across all competitions while scoring three goals.
His availability will come as a big relief for that team who were also sweating over the fitness of Ferland Mendy. Furthermore, with Eder Militao also returning from suspension, Ancelotti will have a full-fledged defence at his disposal.
Meanwhile, those missing the trip to Manchester are Mariano Diaz, Luka Jovic and Eden Hazard. On the other hand, Gareth Bale has been included in the team after being left out against Osasuna.
Jose Felix Diaz has reported via MARCA that Real Madrid want a major change in the Spanish refereeing system.
The reporter writes that the team from the Spanish capital has taken the issue as their top priority mostly because of what happened in the recent derby defeat against Atletico Madrid.
Los Blancos are determined to relentlessly steer a significant overhaul of the refereeing structure, and they have no intention of resting in their pursuit.
Their discontent comes not only from recent events, particularly the contentious derby match but also from a deep-seated frustration with the state of refereeing itself.
Real Madrid not hiding their discontent
The journalist mentions that Real Madrid are unapologetic about their continuous criticism of the refereeing community, firmly believing that a transformation is of utmost importance.
Even prior to the emergence of the Negreira case, the Merengues had been vocal about their dissatisfaction with those responsible for overseeing the refereeing unit.
For what it is worth, the revelation of the former vice president of the CTA’s financial ties to Barcelona only solidified Real Madrid’s resolve to advocate for a complete overhaul in referee management.
Real Madrid are suspicious
Real Madrid firmly assert that any influence from Negreira’s historical decisions in certain key positions raises suspicions about the fairness of the competition.
For that, the management will do everything in its power to achieve a certain level of transparency within the organization that it believes is currently overshadowed by historical baggage.
As of today, Real Madrid continue to voice their concerns through their official channels.
Right now their ultimate goal is to eliminate the involvement of Clos Gomez in VAR decisions, marking the beginning of a long-standing battle they are fighting.
