Antonio Rüdiger, the German defender for Real Madrid, is suffering from a "hamstring injury to his right leg," as confirmed by the club through a medical report. He is expected to be out for two to three weeks, meaning he will miss crucial matches, including the Madrid derby in LaLiga and the visit to Manchester City in the Champions League.

Bad news for Ancelotti

The Real Madrid match against Espanyol brought a double blow for Carlo Ancelotti. In addition to the defeat, which tightens the LaLiga standings—now with Atlético de Madrid just one point behind—the injury to Rüdiger adds to the growing list of absentees in a defense already weakened by long-term injuries to Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão. Just 15 minutes into the game, Rüdiger had to leave the pitch at the RCDE Stadium after feeling discomfort during a play. The German defender underwent an MRI the following day, which confirmed the injury.

Diagnosis and recovery timeline

"After tests were carried out on our player Antonio Rüdiger by the Real Madrid medical team, he was diagnosed with a hamstring injury to his right leg," the club announced. The Real Madrid medical team estimates that recovery from a small muscle tear like the one Rüdiger has will take between two and three weeks, according to club sources cited by EFE.

As a result, the player will miss the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey against Leganés, the league derby at the Santiago Bernabéu between the top two teams, the match against Osasuna, and most importantly, the first leg of the round of 16 in the Champions League, where Real Madrid will visit Manchester City. Rüdiger’s goal, after learning the exact extent of his injury, is to be fully recovered and ready to return for the second leg against Manchester City on February 19, at the Bernabéu.