Online Reporter
REAL MADRID could be without defender David Alaba and midfielder Eduardo Camavinga for the Copa del Rey final after both were injured in Wednesday’s 1-0 LaLiga victory over Getafe.
A first-half goal from Turkish midfielder Arda Guler secured the win for Real which kept their LaLiga title ambitions alive.
However, the triumph came at a cost and coach Carlo Ancelotti is already without key players Kylian Mbappe and Ferland Mendy ahead of Saturday’s Copa del Rey final against rivals Barcelona.
“We will see tomorrow what the medical exams say but (Alaba and Camavinga) both suffered leg muscle injuries and it looks very unlikely for them to make it to Saturday’s final,” Ancelotti revealed in a post-match press conference.
With Mendy, Alaba and Camavinga all potential absentees, Ancelotti may have to rely on Fran Garcia to fill the left back position, where he would be tasked with keeping Barcelona’s 17-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal quiet.
Barcelona, who are chasing a treble with the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan next week, sit top of LaLiga on 76 points, four ahead of Real with five games remaining.
They have already recorded emphatic victories over Real this season, winning 4-0 at Santiago Bernabeu in LaLiga in October and 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia in January.
“There may be a favourite, but a final is a final. And anything can happen,” Ancelotti said.
“We will have to defend well, but we’ll have our chances up top. Today’s victory is a good boost. It was a good first half and more difficult at the end, but we won.” — Reuters.
