On Tuesday night, Real Madrid secured a draw against Shakhtar Donetsk and as a result, also managed to confirm qualification for the knockout stages automatically. But that feat was down to Antonio Rudiger’s sacrifice in the later stages.
It was the German defender’s header which deflected off the post and beyond the advancing Shakhtar’s goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, that leveled the score in the last minute.
Both Trubin and Rudiger spent several minutes down and Rudiger seemingly came off worse, covered in blood when he eventually left the pitch.
As per Diario AS, Rudiger received 20 stitches in his face in order to sew up the significant gash.
“Rudiger has a cut on his forehead,” declared Carlo Ancelotti after the match.
“In terms of morale, the player his fine. He is conscious, he is speaking, smiling. He is happy because he scored an important goal. He even wanted to get back on the pitch afterwards.”
Rudiger will today undergo tests to determine the extent of the injury, whether or not he needs to take surgery and how much time he will most likely miss considering the oncoming El Clasico on Sunday, October 16th.
