Visiting Athens, Real Madrid Has Three Options to Overcome the Back Line Injury Crisis

Gilabola.com – Real Madrid has three player options that will be plotted to partner Raul Asencio at the back, when they take action at Olympiacos headquarters in the Champions League league stage continuation match, Thursday 27 November 2025.

The Only Center Back Available

Real Madrid travel to Athens tonight, where Raul Asencio will be the only center back available for Xabi Alonso in the match.

Dean Huijsen was not included in the Real Madrid squad due to the knee injury he suffered since the match against Elche last weekend.

Meanwhile, Antonio Rudiger has also not been included in the Los Blancos squad at home to Olympiacos, even though he has been training with the team. The defender from Germany is expected to be ready to compete at home to Girona on December 1 2025.

Meanwhile, Eder Militao is also absent after suffering an injury in the Brazilian national team, and David Alaba is absent due to an excess of players.

As a result, Real Madrid only have five defenders in their squad, namely Fran Garcia, Alvaro Carreras, Raul Asencio, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ferland Mendy, when they travel to Greece.

Three Options for Xabi Alonso

Considering this situation, coach Xabi Alonso must partner Raul Asencio in the central defender position for the match against Olympiacos.

The most likely scenario is to field Aurelien Tchouameni at the heart of Madrid’s defense with the Los Blancos academy graduate.

The French international has just returned to Alonso’s squad, after he missed two games due to injury.

He has also played as a central defender in many matches in the past, when Madrid was still coached by Carlo Ancelotti. Meanwhile, Alonso sometimes also plays Tchouameni in that position.

Alvaro Carreras to the Center of Defence

Another alternative is to reorganize Madrid’s defense line. However, in this case, the wing-back will be the player paired with Asencio.

The most likely option – if Tchouameni does not play, is to move Alvaro Carreras to the center of defence, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Fran Garcia occupying the wing-back positions.

The 22 year old new player has filled the center back position several times this season, and has succeeded in proving himself as a capable choice.

Rely on Ferland Mendy in the Central Defender Position?

A third option – although this is unlikely, is to give Ferland Mendy his first game of the season, and field him at centre-back.

In the training match that Alonso held with Castilla during the international break, the former Lyon player was deployed in one of the teams as a central defender.

However, Mendy has not played for more than six months, after he suffered an injury in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona in April 2025.