MADRID, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid have suffered another big injury setback as they prepare for a vital fortnight of football with the club confirming that central defender David Alaba has suffered a groin strain that will keep him out of action for between two and three weeks.
Alaba has suffered the injury as he was making his return to action after a year out with a torn cruciate knee ligament and he had made substitute appearances in Madrid's last two matches.
The central defender suffered the injury training on Monday, with the club making it public on Tuesday.
The latest setback for the Austrian means he misses Wednesday's Copa del Rey quarter-final visit to play Leganes, as well as the vital derby at home to Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Sunday and the Champions League play-off against Manchester City.
Alaba's injury comes at the worst possible time, just two days after Anthony Rudiger pulled a hamstring in Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Espanyol and with Eder Militao out for the season with a knee injury.
That means Carlo Ancelotti is without the three specialist central defenders in his squad as they prepare to play the four most important matches of the campaign to date.
Although Jesus Vallejo is still in the Real Madrid squad, Ancelotti has shown zero faith in him, with Vallejo playing just 10 minutes first team football all season, despite the injuries to Alaba and Militao.
The Real Madrid coach will now have to pair midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni with B-team defender Raul Asencio, while promoting another 20-year-old B-teamer, Jacobo Ramon, who has also missed a large chunk of the season through injury.
"We have lost two key players (Rudiger and Alaba)," lamented Ancelotti in his press conference on Tuesday.
"Alaba was ready to play and he was going to play tomorrow (in Leganes) because he was feeling good. We hadn't contemplated what has happened and it's an emergency, but we have to carry on with what we have," said the Real Madrid coach. ■
