Real Madrid's recent La Liga campaign hit a dramatic low with a 2-1 loss to Mallorca, sealed by late goals from both sides. Manu Morlanes gave Mallorca the lead shortly before halftime, according to major media reports. Eder Militao equalized late in regular time with a header from a corner by Trent Alexander-Arnold, but Vedat Muriqi scored a goal in the 91st minute for Mallorca to secure the victory.
In another match, Arda Güler scored a goal from long range in the 89th minute for Real Madrid against Elche. Vedat Muriqi was emotional after scoring against Real Madrid, due to recent difficult weeks including Kosovo's loss to Turkey in a World Cup playoff. Real Madrid faces Celta Vigo with a depleted squad due to multiple injuries and absences, according to major media reports.
Kylian Mbappé is out with a knee issue, Jude Bellingham has been rarely present this season, and David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga, and Eder Militao are among the injured players. Specific injury updates reveal further setbacks: Trent Alexander-Arnold is out with a thigh injury and could be sidelined for the next two months, according to research sources. Alexander-Arnold has made eight league starts for Real Madrid in his debut season, disrupted by two injuries, major media reports indicate.
Eduardo Camavinga is out with an ankle injury, but the length of his absence is unconfirmed, research sources say. Defensive injury concerns are acute, with David Alaba trained indoors on Thursday and his availability for the Manchester City match uncertain, major media reports state. David Alaba is a major doubt with a muscular issue for the match against Celta Vigo, research sources add, while Dean Huijsen is a major doubt with a muscular problem, Dani Carvajal is out with a knee problem and will be sidelined until 2026, and Ferland Mendy is out with a muscular problem and could be out for the remainder of 2026.
If David Alaba and Raul Asencio are out against Celta Vigo, a youth player from the second team will start in defense, according to Alvaro Arbeloa. David Alaba's contract situation adds to the uncertainty, with his high salary and injury record sealing his Real Madrid fate—the Austrian will leave when his contract ends in June 2026, according to Fabrizio Romano. 5 million gross salary per year, making him the second-highest-paid player at the club behind Kylian Mbappé, according to Der Spiegel.
Real Madrid's hierarchy is focused on younger and more physically reliable players in defence, and Alaba does not feature in those long-term plans, research sources report. Additional injury and suspension updates show Franco Mastantuono is suspended for Real Madrid, major media reports say, while Real Madrid have no players suspended for the La Liga clash against Celta Vigo, research sources indicate. David Alaba will be out for two weeks after picking up an injury in the Champions League victory over Chelsea, according to AS, and he has made 34 appearances across all competitions this season, with two goals and three assists, research sources note.
Eder Militao is suspended after picking up his third Champions League yellow card of the season in the victory over Chelsea, research sources add. Karim Benzema took a knock after a strong challenge from Thiago Silva but has no injury problems and has trained as usual ahead of Madrid's La Liga game against Celta, research sources confirm. Other contract situations in Real Madrid's defense involve Dani Carvajal and Antonio Rüdiger, who are also out of contract this summer, with Rüdiger expected to follow Alaba out the door unless talks take a dramatic turn, research sources report.
Real Madrid's recent match against Girona saw Federico Valverde score a goal for Real Madrid, while Thomas Lemar scored a goal for Girona. Jude Bellingham returned to the starting lineup for the first time since his injury in the Girona match, multiple sources indicate, and Kylian Mbappé went down in the penalty area but the referee did not award a penalty, according to reports. Williot Swedberg assisted Borja Iglesias for a goal for Celta Vigo against Real Madrid, and he has four goal contributions in his last three matches against Real Madrid, major media reports indicate.
Aurelien Tchouameni scored a goal for Real Madrid against Celta Vigo, major media reports say, while Celta Vigo are 12th in La Liga on 16 points, research sources note. Mallorca is above the relegation line in La Liga, according to official sources. The context about Real Madrid's injury list reveals a squad stretched thin, with return timeline uncertainties for many key players.
Implications of David Alaba's situation extend beyond immediate fitness, as his potential departure in 2026 could reshape Real Madrid's defensive strategy.