Real Madrid Suffers Devastating Injury Setback Hours Before Crucial Sevilla Showdown

Mere hours prior to Real Madrid's encounter with Sevilla, the club announced that Federico Valverde would be absent from the match, presenting Xabi Alonso with another defensive challenge.

Concerns arose in Madrid when the Uruguayan player skipped Friday's training session due to physical discomfort. Valverde underwent a final fitness assessment for Los Blancos' season finale, which he was unable to pass.

The 27-year-old was removed from Alonso's lineup at the last moment. The Athletic indicates the midfielder is dealing with an injury that kept him from even making the bench at the Bernabéu on Saturday night.

Valverde was absent from Real Madrid's 3–2 triumph over Talavera in Wednesday's Copa del Rey match, though the extra recovery time proved insufficient to restore the captain to complete fitness. Alonso now finds himself without any available first-team right-backs—regular or makeshift—for the Sevilla encounter.

Real Madrid Castilla graduate David Jiménez received the call-up, though the 21-year-old will probably watch from the sidelines as Raúl Asencio takes the right-back position. Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold continue their recovery in the treatment room.

Real Madrid Gradually Emerging From Devastating Injury Problems

Although Valverde's absence affects Saturday's crucial match, the Spanish powerhouse is gradually overcoming their injury troubles. David Alaba, Ferland Mendy and Eduardo Camavinga have returned to action following lengthy rehabilitation periods.

Dean Huijsen is also positioned to make his first La Liga appearance in a month. The former Bournemouth defender completed the entire match against Talavera and will welcome having Antonio Rüdiger alongside him when kickoff begins at the Bernabéu.

Álvaro Carreras, however, won't be available until 2025; the Spanish player is completing his second suspension game after receiving a red card in the team's 2–0 loss to Celta Vigo. Fran García will take his position.

The improvised defense will aim to keep Real Madrid competitive long enough for Kylian Mbappé and teammates to find success in attack. Victory for the 15-time European champions would temporarily place them within one point of Barcelona, who meet a challenging Villarreal team on Sunday evening.