Real Madrid's mounting injury crisis took a devastating turn on Monday when medical tests confirmed that Rodrygo Goes has suffered damage to the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee during Sunday's 1-0 home defeat to Getafe. The Brazilian forward, who came on as a substitute in the 55th minute, twisted his knee awkwardly around the 66th minute while attempting to beat Getafe's Adrian Liso on the left wing. Despite the injury, Rodrygo continued playing for the remainder of the match, a decision that has drawn criticism of the club's medical staff. Tests conducted on Tuesday morning lasting approximately one hour and 45 minutes revealed the extent of the damage, with multiple Spanish outlets including MARCA and OK Diario reporting that surgery will be required and a recovery timeline of six to seven months, effectively ending his season and placing his participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in serious doubt.
The injury is particularly cruel as it occurred in Rodrygo's very first match back after being sidelined since February 1 with hamstring tendinosis in the same right leg, having missed five consecutive matches during his recovery. He joins an already extensive casualty list that includes Kylian Mbappe, who traveled to Paris for a second opinion on a left knee ligament injury, as well as Jude Bellingham, Eder Militao, Dani Ceballos, and Raul Asencio, who is nursing a cervical contracture from the Benfica match. David Alaba is also being assessed for calf discomfort, meaning as many as ten players could miss Friday's La Liga fixture against Celta de Vigo.
Separately, Antonio Rudiger faces potential disciplinary action after delivering a knee to the face of Getafe left-back Diego Rico in the 25th minute while the defender lay on the ground following an aerial challenge. The incident, which left Rico in visible pain and requiring medical attention for his mouth and jaw area, went entirely unpunished by referee Alejandro Muniz Ruiz and was not reviewed by VAR official Valentin Pizarro, sparking widespread outrage across Spanish football. Speaking to Cadena COPE radio after the match, Rico described the action as deliberate retaliation following a scuffle in the preceding play. He stated that Rudiger almost pushed aside a teammate to reach him and that the blow could have broken his jaw.
Former La Liga referee Iturralde Gonzalez declared on air that the incident warranted a straight red card for violent conduct, describing Rudiger's downward knee motion as a clear act of aggression against a defenseless opponent. Cadena SER characterized it as the most brutal action of the season, while journalist Dani Garrido warned that Rudiger could have broken Rico's jaw on the spot. The Spanish football authorities' Competition Technical Commission was scheduled to review the incident on Tuesday, with multiple sources indicating that a disciplinary file would be opened against the German defender. Under the RFEF Disciplinary Code, a finding of violent conduct could result in a multi-match suspension.
Getafe manager Jose Bordalas declined to directly evaluate the tackle but made his position clear by stating that the action spoke for itself and that everyone had seen it. Meanwhile, Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa did not address the Rudiger controversy in his post-match press conference, instead focusing his frustration on Franco Mastantuono's straight red card for dissent in stoppage time. The Argentine teenager, who shouted an expletive at referee Muniz Ruiz, faces a two-match ban that would see him miss the Celta Vigo and Elche fixtures before returning for the Atletico Madrid derby on March 22.
The twin blows compound an already dire situation for Real Madrid, who sit four points behind league leaders Barcelona with a game in hand following back-to-back La Liga defeats for the first time since May 2019. With their squad decimated by injuries and key players potentially facing suspension, Arbeloa's options for the crucial run of fixtures ahead appear severely limited. The manager took full responsibility for Sunday's loss after the match, stating that with 36 points still available nobody at the club would give up, but acknowledged that Real Madrid had become too reliant on individual brilliance rather than collective attacking threat.
Comments