Antonio Rudiger’s message to Actual Madrid followers after collision

Antonio Rudiger spared Actual Madrid’s blushes with a late purpose that certified the reigning European champions for the Champions League spherical of 16 on Tuesday, however his reward was a brutal collision that noticed him return to the Spanish capital along with his head bandaged up.

The Germany defender scored a Ninety fifth-minute equaliser in opposition to Shakhtar Donetsk to seal a 1-1 attract Warsaw, and within the course of suffered a nasty lower to the brow that noticed him depart the sphere lined in blood and requiring stitches.

With the sport in added time, Madrid have been trailing 1-0 with hosts Shakhtar — who’re compelled to play residence video games within the Polish capital as a result of ongoing conflict in Ukraine — near pulling off a well-known victory.

It was Rudiger’s worldwide teammate Toni Kroos who waved the 6-foot-3 centre-back up into the Shakhtar penalty space, understanding that Los Blancos‘ probabilities of a late purpose may relaxation on his aerial capacity. Within the 92nd minute the primary alternative got here, as Kroos launched a quarterback-like cross into the field which Rudiger headed inches huge.

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It seemed like Madrid’s second had come and gone. However three minutes later in a carbon copy of the sooner transfer, Kroos performed the identical ball and Rudiger rose to go it into the online.

The defender did not get the possibility to have fun, although.

Shakhtar’s 21-year-old goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin had raced off his line to attempt to attain the ball first and as Rudiger headed it goalward, Trubin collided with him head-first. It was a sickening, worrying collision.

Rudiger pushed away celebrating teammates and sank to his knees, dazed and already visibly bleeding.

Each gamers lay on the turf, however it was the Madrid participant who seemed to have come off the more serious. His white shirt soaked in blood, and struggling to see by means of one eye, Rudiger was helped off by medical workers for additional therapy.

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The sport completed seconds later — and naturally, the main focus was on the situation of purpose scorer Rudiger. Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was fast to calm any severe considerations in his postmatch TV interview.

“He lower his brow, it is fairly a protracted lower, however he is okay,” Ancelotti mentioned, earlier than laughing: “He wished to return again on!”

Later in his information convention, Ancelotti provided extra particulars: “He is being stitched up. He is acutely aware, speaking, smiling, comfortable to have scored.”

Kroos added: “I’ve seen higher photos, to be sincere. It is powerful, there’s numerous blood, as you noticed on the pitch. Let’s hope he is again as quickly as potential.”

Rudiger himself took to Instagram in a while to guarantee followers that he was OK. “What does not kill you makes you stronger!” the participant mentioned in a submit, earlier than including a picture to his story that confirmed him smiling — whereas sporting a considerable bandage protecting his brow and one eye — on the group’s flight again to Madrid.

“We alive,” the understated caption said.

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Rudiger will bear additional assessments on Wednesday, along with his participation now unsure for Sunday’s Clasico with LaLiga rivals Barcelona (stream LIVE, Sunday at 10:15 a.m. ET on ESPN+ within the U.S..)

The 29-year-old is not any stranger to placing his head the place it hurts. In 2021, whereas taking part in for Chelsea, he wore a protecting masks within the Champions League semifinal second leg in opposition to Madrid after sustaining a blow to the face in the course of the first leg, a 1-1 draw on the Bernabeu.

On the time, coach Thomas Tuchel mentioned Rudiger had “a bit of bone damage on the aspect of the face” though it was later reported that he had in actual fact damaged his jaw, making his colossal efficiency in Chelsea’s 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge simply eight days later all of the extra spectacular.

And whereas Rudiger didn’t put on the masks when Chelsea beat Manchester Metropolis in that season’s Champions League last, he did don it once more when representing Germany at that summer season’s European Championship.