Madrid: Real Madrid secured a commanding 4-0 victory against Osasuna in a Spanish La Liga encounter on Saturday. Despite the triumphant outcome, the team faced a significant setback with the loss of their Brazilian defender Eder Militao due to a severe knee injury.
According to Anadolu Agency, Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior was instrumental in Real Madrid’s success, netting three goals at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Additionally, English midfielder Jude Bellingham contributed to the win by scoring his first goal of the season. However, the match took a grim turn when Militao, aged 26, suffered an injury in the Osasuna area during the first half and had to be stretchered off the field.
Real Madrid later confirmed in a statement that Militao’s injury was diagnosed as “a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament with involvement of both menisci in his right leg,” necessitating knee surgery. The team’s injury woes were compounded as Lucas Vazquez and Rodrygo also faced injury issues and were substit
uted during the match.
The club has been grappling with a series of injuries. Right-back Dani Carvajal underwent knee surgery following his anterior cruciate ligament injury in October. David Alaba, the Austrian defender, has been sidelined since December 2023 due to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, with a potential return in 2025. Meanwhile, Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been absent from several matches owing to an adductor injury in his left leg.
Despite these challenges, Real Madrid remains in second place in the league standings, trailing leaders Barcelona by six points. Barcelona, with 33 points from 12 matches, is set to face Real Sociedad on Sunday evening. Osasuna, following their defeat in Madrid, holds the fifth position with 21 points.