The Real Madrid captain’s ankle injury has been a matter of concern since he was confirmed as having suffered a grade three sprain in Sunday’s derby defeat at Atletico Madrid. The Uruguay international suffered the injury after being injured in a challenge from Atletico midfielder Lee Kang-in during the game. Real Madrid were already furious about the tackle, saying it deserved a red card.
Tuesday’s medical tests revealed the seriousness of Valverde’s left ankle ailment. The club’s medical team conducted tests before announcing the diagnosis via an abbreviated statement from Real Madrid. According to Spanish newspaper reports, Valverde is set to miss the rest of the season, spending several weeks on the bench. He will also miss Uruguay’s next international games against Japan, South Korea and India.
The midfielder will stay at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training base throughout the international break to undergo further rehab. The club is reported to be planning to have him coming back to training in about two weeks, perhaps making him a contender for his first game against Villarreal after the FIFA break.
The wound will complicate Real Madrid’s efforts in the wake of their poor performance in the derby. Atletico claimed the 2-1 win this past Sunday, and the game was heavily disputed due to several challenges.
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho was especially harsh on the referees. Mourinho showed two screenshots of Atletico players at his post-match press conference that he says should have been red cards. One of the images showed Lee Kang-in challenging Valverde, and it has been followed by confirmation of the midfielder’s ankle injury.
Valverde’s attention isn’t going to be on the international stage for the moment, at least not on his side. He will have to improve over the next few weeks if he’s to be available for Real Madrid’s next league match.
