Real Madrid have received another setback in their 2016/17 La Liga campaign after their key players Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric and Casemiro were ruled out of action for up to six weeks. The trio, when fully fit, are usual starters for Madrid, but the club will miss out on their services for the rest of October and the start of November.
The recent knocks suffered by the players means that the team faces a larger dilemma in finding a solution to their poor run of form that has seen them draw all of their last four games in all competitions.
Also read: Real Madrid has psychological issues, says manager Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane was aware of injuries to key midfielders Casemiro and Luka Modric, but the recent knock suffered by Sergio Ramos in the World Cup qualifier for Spain against Albania comes as a shock giving the manager a further headache. Ramos is set to be sidelined for up to two months and could miss crucial fixtures for the club, and upcoming World Cup qualifiers for the country against Macedonia and England.
Casemiro suffered an injury last month in Real Madrid’s fixture away at Espanyol and is hoping to recover in time for the Madrid derby on 19th November. The larger concern for the manager seems to be finding an ideal replacement for the holding midfielder who’s been pivotal and given that there is no immediate cover in that role.
Also read: La Liga 2016/17: 'Leaving Real Madrid was the best decision I ever made,' claims Ezequiel Garay
Luka Modric, who had to undergo a surgery to solve his knee issues is expected to be back at the Vicente Calderon for the game against Atletico. However, the team’s present problems seem to have worsened at the wrong time owing to poor form and their dire need to fix the bug before an exhausting period of successive games.
Real Madrid travel to Real Betis and Alaves while facing Athletic Bilbao at home in their La Liga games this month. In the Champions League match weeks, they will travel and also host Legia Warsaw keen to secure points that will assure them a place at the top of the group table.
Furthermore, the injuries to players will affect their national teams also given that the World Cup qualifiers are now setting foot in a crucial stage of the campaign. Other than the Spanish captain, Casemiro will miss out on Brazil’s qualifiers against Argentina and Peru while Luka Modric is set to be absent from Croatia’s matches against Iceland and Northern Ireland.
More Football news, transfer rumours, analysis and features at Sportskeeda.com
