Rival watch: Real Madrid duo set to miss Barcelona clash due to injury

Heading into the 2022/23 season, Barcelona were one of the favourites for the UEFA Champions League. Their squad was boosted by brilliant summer signings in Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Franck Kessie, and Andreas Christensen, among others.

In fact, most of their fire-power was also visible on the pitch, as they recorded an unbeaten start to life in La Liga for a few gameweeks. However, tasked with containing the likes of Inter Milan and Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Barcelona faultered.

Most of their failures in the group stages has to do with their injury issues at the time, though.

For example, Barcelona rocked up to Inter Milan with Marcos Alonso as the left-back, Eric Garcia and Gerard Pique in central defence, and Sergi Roberto on the right. None of whom are their starters.

Even now, Barça are dealing with an injury to Ousmane Dembele and Pedri, both of whom were in immaculate form. The duo is expected to be sidelined for another month, approximately, missing games against Real Madrid and Manchester United.

In some slightly good news, though, Real Madrid will be without two key players for the first leg of Copa del Rey semi-finals, where they face Barcelona.

David Alaba has been ruled out for a month with injury, according to Sergio Valentin, after picking up a hamstring injury against Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Rodrygo is also expected to miss the game after sustaining an overload in his gluteus muscle, according to Madrid’s official update.

With Ferland Mendy also unavailable, Alaba will likely be replaced by Nacho or Antonio Rudiger, depending on where Carlo Ancelotti was planning to use the Austrian. Elsewhere, one of Federico Valverde or Marco Asensio is set to take Rodrygo’s place, probably on the right-wing.