Madrid's Right-Back Dilemma Collects Speed as Injuries Strike in Bilbao

Injury blows and looming fixtures

The Merengues faced a dilemma at right-back as they left San Mamés with a 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, but not without worry after two of their key players suffered injuries described by the medical staff as "worrying": Trent Alexander-Arnold and Eduardo Camavinga.

Both players contributed directly to the win—Alexander-Arnold with the assist for the opening goal, Camavinga scoring the second.

The first blow came in the 55th minute when the English full-back was forced off the pitch, replaced by Raúl Asensio after feeling pain believed to be in the hamstring.

This setback follows Alexander-Arnold's return from a hamstring issue that had kept him out for about a month, and his recent struggles in performances.

Real Madrid now face a clear problem at right-back, particularly with Dani Carvajal sidelined by a long run of injuries that has kept him out of 81 matches since last season.

Manager Xabi Alonso finds himself once again confronting a complex defensive puzzle ahead of December 7 away to Celta Vigo and December 10 home to Manchester City, with Asensio or Fede Valverde among the potential emergency right-back options.

And the misfortune did not end there: a few minutes after Alexander-Arnold's exit, in the 67th minute Camavinga followed his teammate after a heavy challenge from Berenguer, leaving the field for Arda Güler.

If Madrid's depth is tested further, the defense could rely on makeshift solutions and a lot of hopeful vibes in the days ahead, as fans wonder who will fill the slot in their upcoming fixtures.

Punchline time: If your defense had a spine, it would be a jellyfish—glides in, flops out. And two words you never want to hear in January pressers: emergency right-back. Sniper joke done; may the cramps be kind to your hamstrings.