Carlo Ancelotti: 'Real Madrid could sign new centre-back in January'

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that there could be a centre-back addition at the club during the January transfer window due to David Alaba's injury blow.

Alaba will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign, having suffered an ACL injury during his side's La Liga clash with Villarreal on Sunday night.

Fellow centre-back Eder Militao suffered the same injury back in August, and the Brazil international will not be back on the field until April at the earliest.

Ancelotti, speaking ahead of Thursday's La Liga clash with Alaves, said that the club will "evaluate" the market and could make a signing "if there is a good possibility".

However, for the moment, fit-again Aurelien Tchouameni could feature in the middle of the defence alongside Antonio Rudiger, with Nacho also an option.

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"I'm not saying no, we have spoken with the club, we will evaluate it in these days, there is time. The market in January does not end until the 31st of that month, we will look for the best possible solution," Ancelotti told reporters during his press conference on Wednesday.

"For the moment, we are in no hurry. We are going to finish the year well and then there is time to make the best possible decision.

"This is a very difficult moment (injury situation). I have to thank the players who are holding on. They're special, what we're doing is special.

"This is an unexpected injury, you can't imagine it. [Thibaut] Courtois, Alaba and Militao had never had problems with their knees while we have other players have discomforts in their knees and nothing happened to them. It's unexpected.

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"He (Tchouameni) doesn't like to play as a centre-back, just like [Eduardo] Camavinga doesn't like to play as a full-back. In the emergency, he did very well. He knows that if there is an emergency, he will play there. But his future is as a midfielder, we all know that."

Real Madrid recorded a 4-1 win over Villarreal on Sunday evening to move onto 42 points from 17 matches, which has left them in second position in the La Liga table.

Los Blancos have a number of absentees for their final match of the year against Alaves, with Ferland Mendy also out due to the problem which he suffered against Villarreal.

Dani Carvajal is also not ready to return from a calf problem, while Vinicius Junior, Camavinga and Arda Guler remain absent alongside Alaba, Militao and Courtois.

Ancelotti also confirmed during his press conference on Wednesday that Kepa Arrizabalaga would start over Andriy Lunin between the sticks against Alaves.