David Alaba returned to a standing ovation at the Bernabéu after 399 days out injured

The injury meant the No. 4 missed Austria’s Euro 2024 campaign, where they reached the last 16. He was also forced to watch quietly as Real Madrid won La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup and the Champions League in 2024-24.

Before his long-term spell on the sidelines, Alaba made 17 appearances for Los Blancos in all competitions in 2023-24, providing two assists.

The 32-year-old’s return to the Real Madrid squad will be extremely good news for the team’s coaching staff. Both key defenders Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal have been out for the rest of the season due to ligament injuries. Meanwhile, Aurelien Tchouameni’s form has declined too much due to playing as a central defender, Raul Asencio is still young and has not yet won the full trust of coach Ancelotti, and Antonio Rudiger has shown signs of being overloaded after having to work too hard. Hopefully, David Alaba can soon regain his peak form and help Real Madrid avoid a “blank” season.