Antonio Rüdiger Undergoes Knee Surgery, Faces Two-Month Absence

According to ESPN, Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger must undergo knee surgery, which could keep him sidelined for up to two months.

Rüdiger revealed that he had been playing through pain for seven months — a condition that ultimately required meniscus surgery.

“Now, I am finally free of pain, and the surgery was successful. I hope to return to the field soon, as there are two major tournaments ahead, the Nations League and the FIFA Club World Cup, but I will need to monitor my recovery week by week,” said Rüdiger.

Real Madrid confirmed that the surgery was performed by Dr. Manuel Leyes under the supervision of the club’s medical team. This injury adds to the long list of defensive problems for Madrid, who have already lost Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal to ACL injuries.

The red card Rüdiger received in the 120th minute during the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona is still awaiting disciplinary action from the committee, though this matter is now less relevant given his recovery time.