Real Madrid have confirmed that Eder Militao suffered a complete tear of his anterior cruciate ligament after falling to the ground during the 4-0 win over Osasuna.
The Brazilian was about to compete for the ball in Osasuna’s penalty area when he crumpled to the ground unchallenged after planting his right foot on the turf.
Militao screamed in agony and immediately grabbed his knee as worried teammates quickly gathered around him. Medical personnel soon arrived at the scene, treating the 26-year-old for several minutes, before he was stretchered off in front of a dismayed Santiago Bernabeu crowd.
Madrid15 times winners of the Champions Leaguehave since confirmed in a statement that Miltao has suffered a complete tear of his ACL and has also suffered damage to both menisci. He is expected to undergo surgery in the coming days and, while the club has not put a timetable on his recovery, he is likely to miss the rest of the season.
It’s not the first time Militao has suffered a torn ACL. He suffered the exact same injury to his left knee 15 months ago, in a The League game with Athletic Club, and was ruled out for most of the 2023/24 season.
Madrid ended up winning Saturday’s game 4-0 thanks to a hat-trick from Vinicius Junior and a first strike of the season from Jude Bellingham, but the game was overshadowed by injuries to not only Militao but also Rodrygo and Lucas Vázquez.
Brazil forward Rodrygo, who returned to the starting line-up when Ancelotti switched to a 4-3-3, lasted just 20 minutes before leaving the pitch in tears. The Brazilian appeared to injure his hamstring and, despite trying to continue, was forced off to have an ice pack applied to his thigh.
Captain Vázquez, deputizing at right-back due to Dani Carvajal’s long-term injury, also appeared to have a hamstring problem. The Spaniard tried to continue playing, limping until half-time, but was replaced by Luka Modric for the second half, with Federico Valverde coming on as an emergency right-back.
Madrid are also currently without goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, while David Alaba has yet to return to action after suffering his own torn ACL last December.
