Real Madrid have confirmed that centre-back Antonio Rüdiger has sustained an injury to his left thigh.
The Spanish club announced on 12 september that medical tests revealed damage to the rectus femoris muscle, though no timeline has been given for his recovery.
Rüdiger, 32, featured for Germany in both of their World Cup qualifying matches earlier this month but was left out of Madrid’s squad for Saturday’s La Liga clash with Real Sociedad, according to Spanish media reports.
This setback comes just months after the defender underwent knee surgery in April to repair a partial tear in the external meniscus. He returned to competitive action in June at the Club World Cup, but his latest injury raises new concerns over his fitness for both club and country.
The former Roma and Chelsea defender has been a regular starter since joining Madrid in 2022, and his absence is likely to test Carlo Ancelotti’s defensive options in the coming weeks.
