Real Madrid Star Set to Undergo Surgery

Raul Asencio seemed to have the opportunity to be a starter again in his hands, with Dean Huijsen's absence assured for the next match, as well as the doubt over Ibrahima Konate; the Spaniard seemed to have the path clear to start against Villarreal on Oct. 10 at the Bernabeu. However, everything changed drastically, and it seems the center-back will have to go through the operating room.

It is an injury to the tibia of his right leg that he has been carrying for several months already. A new episode of pain would have appeared in the player's leg, which would have been the trigger for the decision to have him operated on. That option has been hovering around Asencio since the final stretch of last season, when it was wanted to take advantage of the summer to cushion the defender's absence a little.

However, that option was never taken, and now Asencio is trying to take advantage of this September international break to overcome that injury without the need to go through the operating room. Even more so, with the motivation of finally returning to the starting lineup when LaLiga returns, since Huijsen is suspended for the red card he received in the Madrid derby for bringing down Giuliano Simeone inside the area.

And Konate left injured in the last training session of the France national team prior to last week's match against Turkey — although everything seems to indicate he will be ready to face Villarreal — and Eder Militao is still in the process of receiving medical clearance to play again. The Brazilian is currently back training with his teammates after months out due to a rupture of the proximal tendon of the biceps femoris in his left leg.

In August, after overcoming a muscle injury, the pain in the tibia appeared again. The fissure is a problem he has been carrying since January, and it has been bothering him since then, becoming an absolute nightmare for the defender. Unfortunately for him, conservative treatment has not worked. He wanted to be able to become an option for Jose Mourinho at this moment, when there are very few center backs available, but his injury gives no respite.

The plan for Asencio during this summer was simple: absolute rest, recovery, and letting time allow the bone to regenerate. It was expected that the tibia would respond to this, but it has not been the case. Worse yet, the situation worsened, so if it stays like this, his season would be compromised again, something the player cannot afford, so the operating room seems to be the best option.