Injury Update Heading into the Madrid Derby Champions League Semifinals
By Alex McVey
Alex McVey gives you an update on the injury status of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid heading into the Champions League semi-final Madrid Derby.
It wasn’t long ago that Real Madrid was staring down the barrel of a full-blown injury crisis at the back. With both Varane and Pepe out, Nacho and Ramos were required to see Madrid through a tough April fixture schedule. Had one of Nacho or Ramos gone down with injury, we would have needed to rely on Casemiro at center-back, an experiment that failed miserably against Celta de Vigo, as Madrid was knocked out of the Copa Del Rey.
But heading into a tough Madrid Derby, Real Madrid looks to have regained a bit of their depth at the back.
While Varane made his comeback in Madrid’s 2-6 demolition of Deportivo De La Coruña, he was rested against Valencia. According to AS, Varane has trained with the group and is ready to play against Atletico Madrid.
That leaves Bale, Pepe, and Coentrao on the injury list. Bale limped off against Barcelona in El Clásico, after his recurring calf muscle injury flared up yet again. Pepe, on the other hand, managed to break two ribs in a collision with Toni Kroos earlier in the month.
Expect either Isco or Asensio to start in Bale’s stead. Given that Isco was kept completely fresh against Valencia, I think Isco is the most likely to take Bale’s place in Madrid’s starting lineup.
While Real may have made it through the other side of their defensive injury crisis, their neighbors in Madrid may be entering a defensive injury crisis of their own. Specifically, Atletico Madrid have experienced a series of injuries to their right-backs. Atleti’s first two starting right-backs, Sime Vrsaljko and Juanfran, have both been sidelined with injuries, a knee and a thigh respectively.
While Real may have made it through the other side of their defensive injury crisis, their neighbors in Madrid may be entering a defensive injury crisis of their own.
That meant that Jose Gimenez was deputizing in their stead. As Jeremy Beren of Into the Calderon reports, Gimenez had been something of a jack-of-all-trades for Atleti coach Diego Simeone, capable of being plugged in both in the center of midfield and in different positions across the back line. Much like Real Madrid’s Nacho Fernandez, Gimenez was proving to be an able substitute regardless of where he was inserted.
However, Gimenez will now miss at least the first leg of the semi-finals due to a Grade II injury to the left thigh. That leaves Los Colchoneros struggling to find a replacement right-back. The most likely solution will come in the form of Thomas Partey, according to Robbie Dunne of Into the Calderon. Problems at right-back might be especially troubling for Atleti, given how reliant Real Madrid have become on attacks through their left side with Marcelo.
Another injury set-back for Atleti comes in the form of an injury to Yannick Carrasco. The speedy attacking player may also miss the first leg of the Derby, after suffering an injury to his shoulder in Atletico’s defeat against Villarreal.