Real Madrid Suffers Crushing Double Injury Setback Before La Liga Kickoff
Real Madrid has announced that Eduardo Camavinga suffered an ankle sprain, while questions surrounding Federico Valverde's availability have surfaced following his exclusion from the team's final preseason match.
This dual setback creates immediate squad selection challenges for Xabi Alonso and raises concerns about the effectiveness of the club's restructured medical staff.
After his summer appointment, Alonso recruited his primary fitness specialist Ismael Camenforte from Bayer Leverkusen. The additions of Javier Arnaiz and Ismael Fernandez in June, combined with Antonio Pintus's reduced role as "Performance Manager," represented what AS described as a "significant restructuring" with typical enthusiasm.
Reform was evidently necessary. Madrid has struggled with numerous injury issues during Pintus's second tenure at the club. In just the past two seasons, Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, and Éder Militão (on two occasions) all suffered serious ACL injuries.
Camavinga's absence isn't anticipated to be lengthy—MARCA reports he may return for Madrid's second La Liga fixture against newly promoted Real Oviedo on Aug. 24.
Valverde should be available for the upcoming league opener. COPE indicates that his omission from Tuesday's match against WSG Tirol was merely preventative due to muscle fatigue.
However, Alonso faces numerous other personnel issues. Jude Bellingham could miss up to three months following summer surgery for an ongoing shoulder injury. With Luka Modrić's departure, Alonso has only Aurélien Tchouaméni and Dani Ceballos, who is seeking his own transfer, as experienced central midfield options for the midweek fixture.
Arda Güler can also function in a deeper role, as he showed with varying degrees of success during the Club World Cup.
Ferland Mendy remains questionable fitness-wise, while Madrid's new striker Endrick is still recovering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him throughout the summer competition.
Regardless of the midfield configuration, Valverde's presence will be vital. The dynamic Uruguay midfielder possesses the stamina to cover for deficiencies that may arise from less committed colleagues. As Madrid prepares for the new season following a brief summer hiatus, Valverde observed: "All my teammates have demonstrated their dedication during the break. This always helps prevent injuries and ensures we're in better shape when the season begins."
The introduction of new medical personnel should theoretically reduce the number of players requiring treatment this season.