Real Madrid central defensive midfielder Marcos Llorente will be sidelined once again for nearly a month after coming off early in the 1-1 draw with FC Barcelona on Wednesday. Here’s what we know so far.
Manager Santiago Solari will be annoyed that he has lost another key player just a week after getting him back from a long stint out. Marcos Llorente had just returned to the lineup in time for the Copa del Rey quarterfinal against Girona.
He featured in both legs of the tie and started in the second leg, playing the full 90 minutes. It was a big decision for Solari to start Llorente over Brazilian Casemiro and a decision that I think worked well.
Llorente was admirable in shutting down the midfield when needed and covered for Luka Modric and Toni Kroos very well when the two moved up to join the attack.
It was announced early Thursday via the club’s official website that the CDM would be out for a few weeks with a hamstring pull:
"“Following the tests carried out today on our player Marcos Llorente by the Real Madrid medical team, he has been diagnosed with a grade 2 injury to his left adductor. His recovery will continue to be assessed.”"
It was clear from the moment he went down that something was not right. There was no contact or any Barca player near Llorente when he sat down on the turf grabbing at his left leg. Based on his grimace and downcast eyes, he knew something was wrong.
When I first saw it happen, I thought the injury was going to be something much more serious than what was discovered, thankfully. We have seen players suffer serious muscle injuries – Gareth Bale – that have forced them out for months at a time.
While Llorente will be dearly missed, it’s safe to say that everyone who is a fan of the club is comfortable with Casemiro. The one doubt, however, is his fitness level.
There are a lot of matches in a short period of time and with the high demand of the Copa semifinal and the Champions League, Casemiro could quickly tire out. Let’s hope the Real Madrid doctors were being cautious when they said three weeks.
Get well soon Marcos!