Eternal Spanish rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid have always kept close tabs on each other, neither one willing to let the other steal a march on the other.
Los Blancos have taken that maxim to the extreme, emulating Barca’s early-season injury crisis with one of their own. Joking aside, it’s eerie when you look at the similarities between the two crises. Players fell like flies during the early stages od Barca’s campaign, with Spanish fitness coach facing Julio Tuous facing intense media scrutiny for perceived player mismanagement. A similar fate has befallen Dr Niko Mihic and his team at Real Madrid, with a slew of key injuries threatening to collapse their campaign at its most important juncture. Is this mere misfortune or medical incompetence?
A perfect storm
Let’s just look at the brass tacks: Real Madrid could be without the services of up to ten players for tonight’s clash with Ceta Vigo. Three players- Huijsen, Carreras and Mastantudo- will be suspended. But there are five confirmed injury absentees, with Mbappe, Bellingham, Rodrygo, Militao and Ceballos set to miss out. The club is also currently assessing the fitness of both Alaba and Asencio. But just look at the calibre of players that are missing. Outside of Vini Jr- who has had his own injury issues this season- they will be without their first-choice attacking lineup. This spells potential disaster with City on the horizon.
Desperate measures
One must always consider the unique pressure that comes with being Real Madrid manager. It is the most exacting job in club football, with fans demanding that rare blend of quantifiable success and aesthetic enjoyment. Just look at how ruthless the Madridstas got when Ancelotti lost that Champions League semifinal tie against Man City a few years back: there is no place for sentiment in these corridors. There is no ‘unimportant’ match for Real. It’s the reason why Xabi Alonso- in a desperate bid to save his job- rushed a visibly unfit Kylian Mbappe back into the side for their Spanish Super Cup clash with Barcelona. Key players can be sacrificed on the alter of necessity.
Rodrygo’s tragedy
Rodrygo’s recent diagnosis is a tragic consequence of this need to perform. The Brazilian winger tore his ACL in Real’s dispiriting 1-0 defeat to Getafe, all but guaranteeing that he misses the rest of the season (World Cup included). It is a gut-wrenching blow that can be traced back to 2023. Reports suggest that Rodrygo has been playing under the spectre of an ACL issue since 2023, when he was diagnosed with a partial ACL tear after international duty (a grim twist of irony given his World Cup fate). Back then, Real made the call to not have surgery and pursue conservative treatment. It is an injury that can be overcome with preventative work and physiotherapy. But I wonder what Rodrygo would say not if given the option to go back and have that smaller surgery. It is a part of a broader pattern of crippling ACL injuries, with Real dealing with no less than six major ACL ruptures since 2023.
The Mbappe saga
A novel could be written about Mbappe’s current injury woes. The Frenchman’s knee issues have become the source of behind-the-scenes blame games, with some suggesting Mbappe isn’t happy with the current medical team (headed by Niko Mihic). There have been rumours of misdiagnosis (which evokes Gavi’s situation at Barcelona). Perhaps the Frenchman has been the victim of hubris, felled in his attempt to break some of CR7’s goal-scoring records. Regardless of how you partition the blame; the Frenchman is currently in Paris seeking a 2nd medical opinion. Real Madrid have been quick to say it is common practice to seek an outside specialist while still under the club’s supervision.
Bellingham takes Mbappe route
Jude Bellingham’s current predicament hints at an alarming pattern. The English midfielder has flown back to England in search of his own 2nd opinion (in the company of Niko Mihic). It feels too convenient for two integral players to go in search of outside answers at the same time (regardless of the party line). All the media spin is masking growing discontent amongst the core members of Arbeloa’s squad. And it couldn’t have come at a worse time.
