Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger is expected to be out of action for up to two months, sources have told ESPN, after undergoing knee surgery on Tuesday.
Sources have told ESPN that Rüdiger was expected to be unavailable for up to two months, which would see him miss the remainder of the LaLiga season and jeopardise his participation in this summer’s Club World Cup.
The club’s target would be for the centre-back to be fully fit for preseason, sources said, without taking any unnecessary risks.
But Rüdiger said in a post on Instagram that he will “do everything” in order to return in time to feature at the Club World Cup with Madrid and the Nations League with Germany this summer.
“After I have played more than seven month with severe pain, it was unfortunately unavoidable that I had to undergo a meniscus surgery,” Rüdiger said.
“Now I’m finally pain-free again, and the surgery was a success …I want to be able to play again as soon as possible as two big tournaments with the Nations League and the Club World Cup are in front of me, but I have to look from week to week now and we will see. I will do everything I can to make it happen.”
Rüdiger, 32, was substituted during extra time in Madrid’s 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday, and later received a red card for throwing an object onto the pitch and attempting to confront the referee.
The Germany international — who had played on for some time with a heavily bandaged knee before being withdrawn — later apologised for his actions, saying there was “no excuse for my behaviour ” in a post on social media.
Rüdiger was sent off in the 120th minute of Saturday’s cup final, minutes after Jules Koundé had put Barcelona 3-2 up in extra time.
