Real Madrid suffer major injury blow ahead of Manchester City clash | OneFootball

Manchester City are set to take on Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League’s league phase in the Spanish capital, but without facing Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The meeting is one of the most highly anticipated fixtures of the ongoing league stage, with Pep Guardiola’s side travelling to Spain for a clash that already carries significant weight in the group standings.

City have enjoyed strong recent European performances against elite opposition, although their hugely disappointing 0-2 defeat at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen at the Etihad Stadium gives the clash in the Spanish capital added importance.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s presence has been a major asset in many of his sides’ tactical structure during his career with Liverpool and Real Madrid, with the England international often dictating play from deep areas and forming a key part of build-up.

His absence therefore forces Xabi Alonso into a rethink at a crucial stage of the UEFA Champions League calendar, especially given the demands of facing City’s multi-dimensional attack and the obvious threat posed by Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, and Phil Foden.

Real Madrid were already managing fitness concerns in their defensive line entering the fixture, heightening the importance of squad depth, and with Dani Carvajal also ruled out until early 2026, Alonso may now be forced to turn to Federico Valverde in the role.

That comes after The Times’ Paul Joyce reported that Trent Alexander-Arnold has suffered a fresh injury concerning his thigh that will rule him out of Wednesday night’s meeting with Manchester City as part of a minimum two-month lay-off.

With the right-back now unavailable until early 2026 himself, Real Madrid may be forced to turn to less experienced full-back options, adjust the shape of their defence, or even shift a senior midfielder into a hybrid role as mentioned through Valverde.

Manchester City’s staff will no doubt analyse any potential structural changes closely as they prepare their tactical approach, and the news could present an opportunity to exploit Madrid’s weakened flank through the form of wide players such as Jeremy Doku in particular.

Guardiola may see value in targeting the right side of Madrid’s defence, especially given Alexander-Arnold’s importance in progressing the ball and initiating counter-attacks. Looking ahead, Madrid’s two-month loss of a key player could also have repercussions for their wider European campaign, potentially opening the door for City and rivals to strengthen their place.