Toni Kroos is set to miss out on crucial fixtures against Atletico Madrid and Barcelona for the Los Blancos after he was diagnosed with a fractured metatarsal, an injury that he suffered in their win over Leganes in the league on Sunday.
This has seen him pull out of the Germany squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifier against San Marino and the friendly against Italy.
The broken foot is expected to see him miss at least 6-8 weeks of action, though Real Madrid have not yet confirmed the length of his absence.
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An official statement from the club read: "After tests conducted in Germany to our player Toni Kroos, under the supervision of the Real Madrid medics, he has been diagnosed with an avulsion fracture at the base of the fifth metatarsal on his right foot."
A statement released by the German Football Association added: "Appropriate treatment will be decided after a follow-up exam. Kroos will undergo a CT scan in Munich on Tuesday by national team doctor Dr Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt."
The German international has become a key cog in Real Madrid’s midfield since he joined from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2014, influential in their Champions League win under Carlo Ancelotti in his first season.
To miss key fixtures against Atletico and Barcelona
Though a disappointing 2014-15 season saw Barcelona pull a clean sweep of all trophies, he was again a central operator as the 2015-16 season ended with Champions League silverware once again. Kroos started 11 games in Europe as Real pulled one over their arch-rivals and noisy neighbours, Atletico Madrid in a thrilling penalty shootout.
Kroos will be a big miss for Zidane’s men as he has been a regular this season, completing 90 minutes in all of Madrid’s last 11 games in all competitions.
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The usual rehabilitation periods for metatarsal fractures are usually around 2 months; this would see him miss the upcoming local derby against Atletico and almost certainly the El Clasico against Barcelona. This injury would also see him miss Champions League clashes against Borussia Dortmund and Sporting CP. With the FIFA Club World Cup campaign beginning in the middle of December, it is unlikely he’ll be passed fit in time for that as well.
Zidane had been recently criticised for his over-reliance on the German, but the French tactician was apparently unconcerned about the possibility of a burnout.
Lack of depth
With Casemiro also ruled out with a broken foot since their victory over Espanyol, Kroos’ injury sees Madrid’s midfield look woefully short of depth, with only Croatian pair Kovacic and Luka Modric in cover.
Kroos always seems to have had a problem with minor injury setbacks during his time with Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, but with him becoming one of the best midfielders on the continent during his tenure at Madrid and a crucial component of their team, Zidane will hope he recovers from this latest injury quickly and come back better than ever.
