It’s now been just a day short of 10 months since David Alaba tore his anterior cruciate ligament while playing for Real Madrid, and there is no sign of a comeback.
Alaba suffered the shock injury in a LaLiga match against Villarreal after an innocuous tackle went wrong.
On average footballers return from such an injury in an eight to nine-month window, but Madrid outlet AS recently provided an update that Alaba still has no return date in the diary, with December the new hope after November was ruled out.
Now there is concern that things could be even worse than first thought.
Speaking on the radio station Onda Cero, reporter Edu Pidal said: “There are concerns that David Alaba will not be able to return to football.
“He is in a lot of pain after training because the cartilage in his knee has broken down and the bones are rubbing against each other.”
Alaba missed Euro 2024 with Austria through injury, although he was present as part of the coaching team.
In September he said he was feeling ‘much better’, but national team coach Ralf Rangnick later dampened expectations.
“I have always said that it is completely unrealistic now in October and November,” Rangnick stressed shortly after Alaba’s comments.
“We all have to hope that the whole story develops in such a way that he will be back to full fitness by Christmas time and able to train and play for Real Madrid, but he will certainly not be a possibility for us before March.”
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