Bad news for Real Madrid in the final phase of the season. Antonio Rüdiger, one of the defensive pillars of the white team, has undergone surgery to address persistent knee problems and will miss the rest of the season. The operation, successfully performed this week, forces the German center-back to end his participation with the team early this season.
Rüdiger's absence is a severe blow for Carlo Ancelotti, who loses one of his most reliable players in defense. The former Chelsea player had played practically everything and was the great leader of the defense, always accompanied by the young Raúl Asencio. His absence forces a defensive readjustment at the most demanding moment of the calendar.
Florentino Reacts: Jacobo Ramón with the Seniors
But Florentino Pérez hasn't taken long to react. The white president has given the green light to an internal solution that points directly to the club's future. The chosen one to accompany Raúl Asencio in the central defense is none other than the also homegrown player Jacobo Ramón... one of the most promising players of Real Madrid Castilla.
Jacobo Ramón has impressed the senior team coaches this season and has even already debuted under Carlo Ancelotti's orders.
At 20 years old, Jacobo Ramón has shown himself to be a defender with authority, good ball distribution, and great anticipation ability. His progression has been meteoric, and now he will have the great opportunity to debut in the first team in the final stretch of LaLiga and the start of the Club World Cup. Real Madrid trusts that this commitment to the youth academy will also serve as a clear message that young players have a place in the elite if they respond correctly.
With the season in its final stretch, the Asencio–Ramón duo could be key in the remaining LaLiga matches and in a renewed Club World Cup that Rüdiger will also miss. It is not ruled out that they will turn to the next summer market, but the rise of the Spaniard could help rule out an economic operation that would cost Real Madrid a lot of money.