Real Madrid managed to survive an upset bid from Benfica with two narrow victories in the playoff round, but their next Champions League Round of 16 tie will be even tougher with Eder Militao, Jude Bellingham, and Dani Ceballos all still out injured, per COPE.
Much of the conversation heading into the second leg against Benfica centered around Kylian Mbappe, though the superstar forward isn’t the most at risk player of missing the Round of 16.
Real Madrid are shutting the Frenchman down due to a recurring knee issue, meanwhile, their bigger concerns heading into either a Round of 16 tilt with Sporting CP or new European Clasico rivals Manchester City will be the defense.
Militao and Huijsen are the two main starters for Real at center back, and there is a clear drop off after them. Huijsen suffered a muscular tear this past week but could be back in time for the next round, while Militao’s latest injury in December carries with it an expected return date of April.
Real Madrid are not the same team without Militao, and they will need veteran center backs Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba, as well as youngster Raul Asencio (who survived an injury scare of his own) to step up.
The Bellingham injury is also a big deal. He is Real Madrid’s best midfielder and one of the team’s three core superstars in the outfield. He has been out since the beginning of the month with a hamstring injury, and while there was hope he would be able to return for the next Champions League round, his absence is a brutal miss. Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde will have to continue to step up.
Compounding Jude’s absence is the severe calf injury to Ceballos, who won’t be back until mid-April, thus carrying the worst of the injuries. He is not as big of a star as Jude or even Militao, but he has become even more important this season as an 8 with Real’s depth concerns in midfield.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.