Real Madrid all-but ruled out for Barcelona showdown due to injury

Real Madrid may be in the Spanish Supercup final, but they are considered to be underdogs for the showdown clash in Jeddah. Barcelona have won 10 domestic matches in a row, and their chances of making it 11 appear to have been boosted in the hours after Los Blancos’ semi-final victory over city rivals Atletico Madrid.

In the 69th minute of the Madrid derby, Xabi Alonso took off both of his central defenders. Raul Asencio is suffering with minor discomfort, and while he should be fine to face Barcelona, the same is almost certain to not be said for Antonio Rudiger.

Rudiger was visibly struggling upon being substituted on Thursday, and according to Diario AS, Real Madrid officials admit that the German defender is unlikely to play against Barcelona. He battled through knee discomfort for 69 minutes, and with the final only three days away, it is unlikely that he will be risked.

Because of this, Dean Huijsen and Asencio are likely to be the starting centre-back partnership on Sunday. The former did not come on against Atleti, but it is hoped that he will be fine to face Barcelona, with the same being said for Asencio despite his discomfort. David Alaba is also a candidate, although it would be a surprise for him to be thrown in after only a handful of starts over the last 12 months.

Kylian Mbappe has more chances to play

It is not all bad news for Real Madrid, with Alonso confirming that Kylian Mbappe has chances to play against Barcelona. The 27-year-old has also been dealing with a knee issue in recent weeks, but he will travel to Saudi Arabia in the next 24 hours, after which he will be assessed by the club’s medical staff before a decision is made on whether he can be included in the matchday squad.

The post Real Madrid all-but ruled out for Barcelona showdown due to injury appeared first on Football España.