Since taking over in the summer, Xabi Alonso has found himself wrestling more with the backline than with any tactical nuance. The Real Madrid defense that once seemed impenetrable now looks like a revolving door of injured and suspended players. Ferland Mendy, who missed the Copa del Rey final two months ago, remains sidelined with a lingering thigh issue, leaving a gaping hole at left‑back that the club has yet to plug with a permanent signing.
Adding insult to injury, the Dutch youngster Dean Huijsen has already seen red on two separate occasions under Alonso’s watch. A hard‑tackling mis‑step against Atletico Madrid earned him his first dismissal, while a rash challenge in a La Liga clash later in the month resulted in a second. Both bans mean he will miss the upcoming fixture against Espanyol, limiting the coach’s options on the left side of central defence.
On the right, veteran Dani Carvajal is staring down a Champions League suspension after a second‑yellow incident that saw him sent off in the last group game. If the disciplinary panel upholds a three‑match ban, Real Madrid could be without their most experienced full‑back for a critical stretch of fixtures that occur every three days.
These individual setbacks echo a broader pattern from the 2024‑25 season, when a spate of injuries and four defeats to Barcelona contributed to Carlo Ancelotti’s exit. The club’s elite status was tarnished, and the new manager inherited a squad that, despite a €178 million summer investment, still lacks depth in defensive positions.
Alonso knows he cannot simply wait for injured players to recover; the calendar offers no mercy. In press conferences ahead of the Real Sociedad clash, he stressed that “we have games every three days now and we need everyone pulling in the same direction.” Unity, he said, is the only way to survive the congested schedule.
In terms of personnel, the manager has a few stop‑gap solutions:
Beyond the immediate fixes, Alonso is also betting on the return of Jude Bellingham. The English midfielder, out with a shoulder injury, is expected to be back before October, according to the coach’s optimistic remarks. While Bellingham is not a defender, his ability to drop deep and help press the opposition can relieve pressure on the back line, allowing centre‑backs to stay more compact.
Another variable is the evolving style of play. Since arriving, Alonso has shifted Real Madrid’s formation from the traditional 4‑3‑3 to a more fluid 3‑4‑3 in certain match‑ups, with an auxiliary wing‑back slot that can be covered by a midfielder when the full‑backs are unavailable. This tactical flexibility could prove crucial if injuries persist.
Fans and pundits alike are watching closely. The Bernabéu crowd has grown restless, remembering the disappointment of a season that ended without a domestic league, Champions League, or Super Cup trophy. The pressure on Alonso to deliver tangible improvement is palpable, especially as the club’s youngest squad in over a decade looks to re‑establish its dominance.Ultimately, the success of Alonso’s tenure may hinge on how swiftly he can stabilize the defensive core while keeping the team competitive across four fronts: La Liga, the Champions League, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup. Every suspension, injury, or tactical tweak now carries the weight of an entire season’s expectations.