Real Madrid suffered a setback as they will be without veteran midfielder Xabi Alonso for an extended period of time after it was announced he suffered a broken metatarsal in his right foot.
Real Madrid, which opened the new campaign with a narrow 2-1 victory over Real Betis last weekend will miss the services of 31 year old as for the past four seasons he is the stabilizing force in the midfield for the Blancos.
He's appeared in at least 40 matches across all competitions in each of those campaigns, a run of terrific durability that ends with the foot ailment. Based on the initial timetable, the earliest Alonso is expected back would be late October.
That said, it's hard to imagine Real rushing him back into action given the nature of the injury. They will want his foot fully healed before he returns to action. The back end of the projected recovery period is late November or early December, which is probably a safer estimation for when the 31-year-old Spanish international will return.
In the meantime, the club will have numerous options to fill the void, showing the importance of depth for title-hopeful sides. Luka Modric can move into more of a central playmaking role from the holding role he's filled since arriving at the Bernabeu. Sami Khedira could also slide into one of the two roles, depending on where Modric feels most comfortable. The other option is asking a younger player to take on a more prominent role in the center of the pitch. Asier Illarramendi and Casemiro are both central midfielders with plenty of upside, but it's unclear if Carlo Ancelotti is ready to give them such a crucial role. Real Madrid will hope for no further setbacks during Alonso's latest recovery.
Until he's ready, Ancelotti will have to juggle the lineup and hope something clicks.
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