Antonio Rüdiger delivered a powerful message to both his teammates and Madridistas across the globe in the days following his thigh injury.
Just when Real Madrid thought they came out of the international break unscathed, tests confirmed Rüdiger sustained an injury to the rectus femoris muscle of his left leg. The blow came after the center back played 172 minutes in Germany’s two 2026 FIFA World Cup UEFA Qualifiers in September.
Rüdiger is now set for a lengthy layoff of around three months that will force him to miss the first Madrid derby and El Clásico of the season, as well as a trip to Anfield in the Champions League.
The defender took to social media to share a heartfelt promise following his second major injury in the last five months.
“As you all know there’s nothing I hate more than not being able to be out there with my teammates, fighting for the club. But one thing’s for sure: I’ll give everything to be back at 100% as soon as possible.
“I’ve been through setbacks before and I’ll rise again. Always,” Rüdiger finished.
Rüdiger missed the last month of the 2024–25 season with a knee injury before returning in the FIFA Club World Cup. The Germany international then made just one appearance in La Liga under Xabi Alonso before he is now back to the sidelines.
Without Rüdiger available, Real Madrid will have to heavily rely on Éder Militão and Dean Huijsen, though the latter is suspended for the next two league matches after being sent off against Real Sociedad at the weekend. Aurélien Tchouaméni might be forced to return to his emergency center back duties should Alonso not trust David Alaba or Raúl Asencio with the task.
As the days left on his contract continue to tick down, Rüdiger will hope to be back on the pitch as soon as possible to make an impact in what could be his final season in a white shirt.
READ THE LATEST REAL MADRID NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘One Thing’s for Sure’—Real Madrid Star Delivers Emphatic Promise After Injury.
