The curious reason why Rüdiger won't be able to play on Tuesday against Osasuna

With everything ready for the match against Osasuna at Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid has encountered a problem. Antonio Rüdiger, one of its best center-backs, won't be able to play in this important match. The reason for this is the suspension he still has to serve after being sent off in the last Copa del Rey final.

Receiving a 6-match suspension, Rüdiger has already served 5 of these, with the last one being precisely the LaLiga debut. Because of this, Xabi Alonso faces the task of deciding who will partner Dean Huijsen. Eder Militao, who has already recovered from his injury, and Asencio are the center-backs who could accompany the Spaniard.

These are two options that Xabi Alonso already tried during the Club World Cup. While Rüdiger's absence will be significant, Real Madrid will only suffer it for 1 match. More important are the injuries the club has to deal with: Camavinga, Endrick, Bellingham, and Mendy.

Rüdiger's absence

Throughout last season, the most important center-back Real Madrid had was Antonio Rüdiger. The German, despite being 32 years old, managed to play a total of 4,539 minutes on the field. In the most important matches, the club relied on Rüdiger to stop all the chances created by its opponents.

However, in the controversial Copa del Rey final against Barcelona, Rüdiger was sent off. The referee, De Burgos Bengoetxea, indicated an alleged aggression by the center-back. In addition, the official stated that Rüdiger showed aggressive behavior after being sent off.

For this reason, Rüdiger wasn't available for the last 5 matches of the season. The player took advantage of this to undergo surgery for some discomfort and to return to his best form. Although his absence against Osasuna will be noticeable, Xabi trusts he can secure the victory.

Rüdiger's return

Despite all the negatives of Rüdiger's absence, the positive is his return for the second LaLiga matchday. The German has managed to keep his relevance despite the changes Xabi has made to the system. Now, all that's left is to wait to see the German shine again alongside Dean Huijsen.