Real Madrid and Xabi Alonso Get Major Injury Relief Ahead of Crucial Villarreal Showdown
Real Madrid saw the return of injured center-back Éder Militão to training sessions on Thursday as the team continued preparing for their vital Saturday clash with Villarreal.
The Brazilian defender had to be substituted at the interval during last weekend's devastating 5–2 loss to Atlético Madrid, with the match tied at 2–2, after suffering discomfort while blocking a fierce shot from Alexander Sørloth. He sat out the midweek 5–0 Champions League victory over Kairat Almaty.
Thankfully for Madrid, Militão's time on the sidelines appears to be ending as he successfully completed Thursday's training session with the squad following a targeted recovery program.
A swift return to the first XI now seems probable for Militão, who is expected to regain his position next to Dutch defender Dean Huijsen for what promises to be a pivotal La Liga encounter on Saturday.
How Alonso Could Use Militão to Help Real Madrid's Injury Crisis
Following the harsh reality of their Atlético defeat, Madrid now face a Villarreal team positioned just one point behind them in the table and ready to overtake Los Blancos with a favorable outcome.
The defensive unit remains a worry for Madrid, who are currently without Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy and Trent Alexander-Arnold—though he might return shortly after the October international window, earlier than initially expected—due to various physical problems.
With both Carvajal and Alexander-Arnold unavailable on Madrid's right flank, Alonso might consider deploying Militão in a wider role given Raúl Asencio's difficulties in that position. This approach would enable the Spanish defender to establish himself at center-back alongside Huijsen, who should be preferred over fellow left-footed option David Alaba.
Asencio featured at right-back during the Kairat match in midweek, with 21-year-old Castilla prospect David Jiménez called up to the substitutes' bench, while there's also the possibility of using Federico Valverde out of his natural position—though the Uruguayan has openly expressed his reluctance for this role, having been deployed there multiple times under Carlo Ancelotti's management.