A long-awaited return of club veteran could solve one of Real Madrid’s biggest headaches | OneFootball

Throughout the season, Real Madrid had concerns about David Alaba’s fitness, especially regarding his timeline of return.

Fast forward to the present, and last Thursday, he captained his national team once again after 485 days in a 1-1 draw against Serbia.

While the sentimental aspect of this moment is significant, Madrid will be far more focused on another key takeaway from this international break.

And what is that?

Alaba played the full 90 minutes for Austria, completing the entire match. This comes just days after he also played the full game for Real Madrid against Rayo Vallecano on March 9.

For the first time since his injury 14 months ago, the Austrian defender has now managed to complete two consecutive full matches without any interruptions.

This is a major milestone in his recovery, proving that he has taken a significant step forward in his return to peak condition.

Real Madrid are monitoring everything

His progress is being closely monitored by Real Madrid, and so far, there are no signs of setbacks or relapses.

David Alaba played full 90 minutes against Serbia. (Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images)

The club is pleased with how things are unfolding, and Alaba himself acknowledges that while he is improving, he is not yet ready to play every three days.

Given the intensity of Real Madrid’s schedule, which requires constant rotation and high-level performances, this remains the final challenge he must overcome.

However, there is no urgency to rush his reintegration. What matters most is that he is now capable of completing full matches with more regularity.

A much-needed reinforcement

For Carlo Ancelotti, Alaba’s steady recovery provides a crucial boost at an important stage of the season.

His availability allows the manager to give some much-needed rest to Antonio Rudiger, who has already played 3,779 minutes this season, including his commitments with the German national team.

Furthermore, it enables Aurelien Tchouameni to return to his natural midfield position, rather than being used as an emergency centre-back.

With Alaba back in the mix, Real Madrid now have a three-man rotation at the heart of the defence. Alongside Rudiger and Raul Asencio, Ancelotti finally has the defensive depth he has been lacking for most of the campaign.