Real Madrid official medical report: Isco injures shoulder against Bayern Munich

Real Madrid’s star midfielder, Isco, showed some discomfort while holding his left shoulder in Munich. Here’s a look at the details of his injury and more.

Things are not looking good for Isco as he suffered an injury against Bayern Munich earlier this week. Just yesterday, The Real Champs had expressed the injury of Isco but now, Real Madrid has released an official statement with specifics.

Isco had a run in with Jerome Boateng. It is unclear whether the injury was sustained upon impact or once falling to the ground. Isco pushed through for the remained of the first-half as he fought through the pain.

Zinedine Zidane touched upon the injury briefly during his post-match presser saying: “It was a shame to lose Isco for injury but Marco went in and made a difference. He didn’t feel comfortable with his shoulder and we changed him.” Thankfully to Real Madrid’s incredibly deep bench Marco Asensio was available.

Injury

According to Real Madrid’s Official Report, Isco has suffered a left acromioclavicular sprain. In layman’s terms, this is simply a sprain to his left shoulder. This injury is typically due to the sudden impact of the shoulder caused by falling onto the shoulder or an outstretched arm. It is possible that Isco did pick up this injury from the hard tackle made by Boateng.

The official report states:

"“After the tests carried out today by the Real Madrid Sanitas Medical Services on our player Isco, he has been diagnosed with a left acromioclavicular sprain. His recovery will continue to be assessed.”"

As is Real Madrid fashion, very few details apart from the injury itself have been shared with the press. An injury to the AC joint has six different grades of severity, from a sprain to a complete tear of the ligaments. The AC joint controls the extending of the individuals arm out to their side.

The best case scenario is that Isco has suffered a grade one strain and suffered minor damage to the ligament rather than a rupture or tear. In knowing that no bones have been broken, Isco’s return time becomes even shorter. Continuing with the assumption that Isco’s injury is minor, his expected recovery time would be between a couple of days and two weeks.

Solution

Treatment

In the first couple of days, Isco will receive plenty of treatment to help decrease the swelling of the ligaments. An athletic tape or the use of a sling will be applied to help decrease the load on the AC joint allowing it to rest.

Once the swelling and discomfort have gone down, Isco will work with the medical staff to work on strengthening the ligament and muscles around it through various exercises. He will train away from the rest of the group until his shoulder is strong enough to sustain contact again.

The attacker will then be tested once again through x-rays and an array of exercises to show that he has in fact recovered sufficiently. It is unlikely that he will be match fit for the second-leg against Bayern Munich.

Next: Real Madrid’s home form a worry ahead of Bayern clash

Substitutes

With such a wealth of players sitting out games, Zidane has several options of whom he can play in lieu of Isco. The most likely solution would be the same one Zizou made in Munich, Marco Asensio. He proved in the first-leg and many times before that he is ready to play on the biggest stage.

In the event Zidane changes formation from the first-leg, he has options in Mateo Kovacic or Gareth Bale. Kova has a great ability to control the ball in tight space, ward off the attack and shows off a stellar passing game.

While Bale doesn’t seem to be in Zidane’s good graces as of late he too is a viable option. His pace would help break down the defense of Bayern along with his accurate crossing.

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Stay tuned to The Real Champs for more great Real Madrid coverage!