Covid-19 strikes Real Madrid again in this pre-seasonal period

Covid-19 is still very active and Real Madrid is being affected again. During the last two seasons Real Madrid was one of the teams that suffered the most from it, having missing players very often. It seems like it never gets over and here we are again. This time it was Benzema, then it was Alaba and most recently it was Odriozola.

Firstly, it is the health risk that the virus opposes and then it is also the effect that it brings on the team. However, the boys are in good condition and it seems like they will be back very soon. On the other hand, La Liga is not far away and the team has to be complete in this preparation phase in order to make the job easier for the coaching staff so they can see in what state the team is and decide to take actions to bring the team in the best possible condition.

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema contracted the coronavirus, and it was the La Liga club that announced it on July 23 without giving too much details about that. The announcement wrote: "Real Madrid C. F. confirm that our player Karim Benzema has tested positive for COVID-19," the Spanish team said on their website. The 33-year-old player was part of France squad during EURO 2020 as his nation lost to Switzerland on penalties in the round of 16. Benzema was the first to come out positive in his test and the blame was mostly on the participation in the Euros, representing France.

Then it was David Alaba who had only a few days that had become part of the Merengues. Real Madrid's Austrian defender David Alaba tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday (27.07.2021), the Spanish football powerhouse said in a statement as follows: Real Madrid C. F. would like to notify that our player, David Alaba, has tested positive for COVID-19. Madrid did not immediately release the details about the player's condition. Alaba, 29, was a longtime Bayern Munich player before his move to Real Madrid in 2021 summer. The Austrian international helped Bayern Munich win the UEFA Champions League twice (2013 and 2020), along with 10 German Bundesliga titles and six German Cups and came to live a new adventure at Real Madrid, but the start was a bit complicated because of the Coronavirus issues. Able to play center and on the left defensive flank, Alaba appeared for the Austrian national team in the UEFA EURO 2020, where they were eliminated by Italy 2-1 in the last 16 stage.

It didn’t end there, unfortunately. In the recent days it was the turn of Alvaro Odriozola to get infected. Madrid came again with a short announcement: al Madrid C. F. confirm our player Álvaro Odriozola has tested positive for COVID-19. So, he became the latest Real Madrid player to test positive for COVID-19, following the positive tests of Karim Benzema and David Alaba. Odriozola played the full 90 minutes of Los Blancos' 2-1 friendly defeat to Rangers in Glasgow last week but will now self-isolate. He will have to remain at home in self-isolation until the virus has cleared, with just over two weeks until the start of the LaLiga Santander season. Carlo Ancelotti will be hoping that the virus will not spread amongst the rest of the squad, given that Alaba and Odriozola had been training with the squad at Valdebebas before testing positive.

Benzema, however, had not come into contact with the rest of the squad, as he tested positive for the virus on the day he returned from his holiday in Lyon. It looks certain that Odriozola and Alaba will not feature in the upcoming friendly against AC Milan on August 8, with Ancelotti facing an anxious wait over whether they will be able to play against Alaves in the first match of the LaLiga Santander season on August 14.

These absences may not seem too serious, but they still have their influence on this pre-season period. Real Madrid will play several friendly matches to test the players and to try to optimize their physical condition and also to make up new strategies or tactics and to decide if new players are needed (probably yes!). The 2021-22 season is at the door and Coronavirus can do harm if the players and the staff are not careful enough.