Fede Valverde out injured, sprain could sideline him for six weeks | OneFootball

Real Madrid confirmed worrying news for Fede Valverde. The Uruguayan midfielder is suffering from a grade 3 sprain in his left ankle, an injury that, because of its severity, could keep him off the pitch for several weeks.

The diagnosis came after tests carried out by the club’s medical staff, who issued a report without setting a specific recovery timeline.

“Following 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. Pending further progress,” the club said.

Kang-in Lee’s challenge that sparked controversy

Valverde was injured during last Sunday’s derby after a challenge from Kang-in Lee, an incident for which Mourinho called for a red card, although no punishment was ultimately given.

After the match, Real Madrid had already reported that the Uruguayan had suffered “severe trauma to his left ankle.” Now, medical tests have confirmed that the problem is more serious.

A grade 3 sprain is the most severe level of this type of injury and can involve a tear in one of the ligaments. It also usually causes major difficulty walking and requires a lengthy recovery period.

Madrid hopes for a quicker recovery

Although the club does not usually publicly set recovery timelines for its players, there is some optimism within Real Madrid, and the expectation is that Valverde could return in less than three weeks.

However, specialists consulted by MARCA point to a considerably longer scenario. According to those assessments, an injury of this severity usually requires at least six weeks of recovery, although the final timeline will depend on the player’s progress and the ligament structure affected.

For that reason, Valverde’s return after the international break, against Villarreal on October 10, appears practically ruled out.

Uruguay also loses its captain

The injury is also a problem for the Uruguay national team. Valverde had been included in Diego Forlán’s first official squad as the new head coach of La Celeste, but he will ultimately be unable to take part in the upcoming international window.

The midfielder will miss the matches against Japan on September 24, South Korea on September 28, and India on October 6.

Valverde managed to finish the derby after suffering the challenge, but the subsequent diagnosis confirmed the seriousness of the issue. Now, Real Madrid will have to wait for his progress to find out when they will be able to count again on one of their most important players.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.