Real Madrid Manager Xabi Alonso Faces Mounting Pressure asโ Keyโข Player Misses Crucial Training Ahead of Olympiacos Clash
MADRID – Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso is navigatingโ a โchallenging period as his team prepares to face Olympiakos in Athens on Wednesday,a match taking on increased importance amid a recent slump in form. Adding to the pressure, defender Dean Huijsen โขmissed the final training session before the team’s departure, compounding concerns over team availability.
This comes on the 44thโ birthday of Alonso, and marks his most arduous stretch as arrivingโค at Real Madrid, โขfollowing a โeuropean defeat andโ two consecutive La liga draws. Theโฃ situationโค is furtherโค intricate by the confirmed absence of goalkeeperโฃ Thibaut Courtois,โ sidelined due to a viral process, giving Andriy Lunin his firstโ start โin the Champions League.
Huijsen had recently returnedโ to action, appearing against Elche onโ Sunday after recovering from a muscle injury that kept him out of the November โฃinternationalโฃ window. He, along with other starters, had a recovery โคsession on Monday.
However, โฃAlonsoโ received positive news with the return of Antonio Rรผdiger and โฃAurรฉlien โTchouamรฉni to full training, both appearing in condition to โฃplay.Franco Mastantuono continues to work his way โฃback from pubalgia, participating inโข group sessionsโฃ for the โคsecond consecutive day.
Real Madrid will forgo a training sessionโฃ at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium inโ Athens, opting to finalizeโค tacticalโฃ preparations in private. The team departed for Athens by โขcharter flight late this morning.
Currently seventhโ inโ the Champions League group stage with three wins and one loss – a defeat at Anfieldโข against Liverpoolโข -โ Real Madrid will be โlooking to regain momentum against Olympiakos. The absences of โคDani Carvajal, David Alaba, โand รder Militao, alongside Courtois and nowโ Huijsen, presentโ a significant challenge for Alonso as โhe seeksโ to steer his team back on track.
