Real Madrid captain, Federico Valverde, has been sidelined with an ankle injury sustained during his side’s 2-1 derby defeat to Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
The Uruguay midfielder was injured following a tackle by Atletico Madrid’s Lee Kang-in during the encounter, with Real Madrid arguing that the South Korean should have been sent off for the challenge.
Spanish media reports indicate that Valverde could be out for several weeks, meaning he is also expected to miss Uruguay’s upcoming friendly matches against Japan, South Korea and India.
Real Madrid confirmed the extent of the injury on Tuesday after the midfielder underwent medical examinations.
“After the tests carried out today on our player Fede Valverde by the Real Madrid medical services, he has been diagnosed with a grade 3 sprain in his left ankle,” the La Liga giants said in a short statement.
Real Madrid coach, Jose Mourinho, had also highlighted the tackle after Sunday’s defeat, arriving at his post-match press conference with printed screenshots of two challenges involving Atletico players that he believed warranted red cards, including Lee’s tackle on Valverde.
Valverde’s absence will be a blow to Real Madrid, with the midfielder having established himself as an important player for the Spanish giants.
