On December 17, 2023, Alaba ruptured his knee ligament. A year later, the central defender continues his fight to find the field.
Although he still has no return date set, Alaba is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. In recent days, he has resumed team exercises, and Ancelotti confided that he hoped to be able to count on him within a month to offer him progressive playing time. The goal is close, but after such a long inactivity, his return to competition promises to be complex.
If his official return remains pending, Alaba has already taken an essential step: overcoming the ordeal he went through. The Austrian has had an extremely difficult time during this never-ending healing process. “He had reached a point where he no longer had morale,” admits those around him. A sentence that says a lot about his ordeal. Mentally, these months have been a colossal challenge for Alaba, marked by the absence of the 58 matches he has missed since his injury.
A second intervention
Two days after his accident, on December 19, Alaba went to the operating table to begin a long recovery process. However, very quickly, worrying signs appeared: his knee was not progressing as expected, and healing was stagnating. Finally, he had to undergo a second operation on May 14, a “cleaning” announced as minor but which delayed his recovery. Since this new operation, seven months have passed.
This period was the darkest for the player. He struggled to find comfort and struggled to banish negative thoughts. “In my career I have faced many challenges, but this is probably the biggest yet. I will tackle it and reach the top of this mountain,” he wrote after his first operation. At the time, he had no idea that the climb would be twice as difficult as expected.
The light at the end of the tunnel
The most frustrating thing for him was his slow progress. For months, he stagnated in the same exercises, following the same routines, with the feeling of not moving forward. Everything changed last October. From that point on, the defender made significant strides. After months of uncertainty, doubt and worry, he finally felt “stability” in his injured knee.
He was able to resume the race at Valdebebas, put on his crampons and even touch the ball. As the workload intensified, Alaba continued to respond positively. On December 6, he reached a new milestone by completing part of the training with the group. From now on, he is gradually integrating into the collective dynamic with a clear objective: to return in January.
