Rival watch: Real Madrid defender ruled out of Barcelona encounter through injury

The first El Clasico of the 2025/26 season between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid is still more than a month away, with the game scheduled for the weekend of 26 October at the Santiago Bernabeu.

While Barcelona are sweating over the availability of key midfielder Gavi for the game, the Spanish capital giants have themselves been handed a major injury blow.

Antonio Rudiger out of El Clasico

Earlier today, Real Madrid announced that veteran defender Antonio Rudiger had suffered a thigh injury.

Building on that, journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that the German international will be out for nearly three months, and that his return is likely to take place in December.

🚨⚠️ Toni Rüdiger has been diagnosed with an injury to the anterior rectus of his left leg and will be out for around three months.

Rüdiger will try to be back by December, based on recovery evolution. pic.twitter.com/4FuyJIjPkk

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 12, 2025

It means that Rudiger will not be available for Real Madrid when they host Hansi Flick & Co. next month at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The seasoned campaigner has not been a regular starter this season, with Xabi Alonso opting to use the pairing of Dean Huijsen and Eder Militao in two of the three games, with Rudiger starting in place of the Brazilian just once.

Despite that, Rudiger is an important player for Los Merengues, and his absence for the first Clasico of the new season will be a bitter blow for them and a boost for Barcelona.