Federico Valverde had medical tests on his ankle following Kang-in Lee's hard tackle. The Real Madrid player was diagnosed with severe trauma to his left ankle, and he will need further tests to determine how long he will be out.
On Sunday, a new edition of the Madrid derby took place, in which Atletico Madrid beat Real Madrid 2-1 at the Metropolitano. It was an intense match, with controversial plays and frustration from the coaching staff and fans of both clubs. One of the most talked-about plays was when Colchoneros forward Kang-in Lee gave Federico Valverde a studs-up kick above the ankle.
This did not prevent the Uruguayan from finishing the match, but a couple of hours after it ended, Real Madrid released a statement conveying the player's medical report. "After the tests carried out today on our player Fede Valverde by Real Madrid's Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a severe trauma to his left ankle, suffered in this afternoon's match. Valverde will undergo new tests in the coming hours," it says.
In addition, reports from The Athletic say he is expected to miss 2 to 3 weeks due to his ankle injury. So his participation with Uruguay during this international break is practically ruled out. The most prudent move would be for him to stay in Madrid to recover ahead of the restart of LaLiga in October, when the merengues must string together wins to get closer to Barcelona.
For his part, the Korean received no sanction for this play and stayed in the match to continue supporting his team in attack. Currently, Kang-in is one of the most important attacking weapons for the red-and-white side, as his speed and dribbling offer a clear route into the opposing area that he or any of his teammates, such as Jonathan David or Julian Alvarez, can finish.
For now, for Jose Mourinho, it is clear that it is time to rethink what he has created so far. Vinicius Jr. still is not playing at all and takes away the opportunity for Yan Diomande to prove himself in these important matches. Dean Huijsen has been doing excellently, but he really looked very childish when committing that penalty and being sent off just as the second half began. An unacceptable failure.
Kylian Mbappe tried, but was erased by the Colchonero defense. Arda Guler, who is one of your most precise men when it comes to shooting or making a pass, was the one sacrificed after the sending-off. Bernardo Silva, who is another of your players with the best ball touch, came on until the 82nd minute with the match already close to ending. Many things to rethink if they wish to be champions next summer.
