This season, nearly the entire starting lineup of Real Madrid has fallen one by one due to a storm of injuries. But there is one person who has always stood firm and given his all in every match. That is Antonio Rudiger, the immortal warrior and also the guardian angel of coach Carlo Ancelotti…

Antonio Rudiger, Real Madrid’s immortal warrior

This season, almost the entire Real Madrid squad has fallen one by one due to injury. But there is one person who has always stood firm and exhausted himself in every match. That is Antonio Rudiger, the immortal warrior and also the guardian angel of coach Carlo Ancelotti…

Perhaps only Ancelotti knows how much he owes Rudiger, because of the German centre-back’s tireless efforts in every match. Despite his knee being tortured by arthritis, the 31-year-old player still fought persistently. And in the context of David Alaba not being able to return, and Eder Militao being injured, he has become the leader of Real Madrid’s defense.

Rudiger is the Real Madrid player who has played the most minutes this season with 1,987 minutes of playing time. The 31-year-old centre-back has also featured in all 23 of Los Blancos’ games this season, and apart from his late substitute appearance against Espanyol, he has played the full 90 minutes of the other 22. Adding in three games for Germany, the former Chelsea man has played 26 games and 2,257 minutes this season.

That number could have been even higher, had Rudiger not been “cleared” of his international duty during the FIFA Days in September, and had the Valencia-Real Madrid match not been postponed due to storm DANA. But whatever happens, coach Ancelotti knows he can always put his trust in his student. Because he is not only the most reliable centre-back, but also a leader, the only one who was brave enough to stay on the pitch to apologize to the fans after the 1-3 loss to AC Milan in the Champions League.