Martin Ødegaard could miss Real Madrid’s final Champions League group game against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Wednesday.
Real Madrid’s already depleted midfield are dealt with another blow ahead of their all-important, do-or-die clash against table-toppers Borussia Mönchengladbach in the UEFA Champions League, as Norwegian midfielder Martin Ødegaard trained indoors and not with the group.
This is reported by Arancha Rodríguez, a reliable journalist that comes up with insider information regarding Real Madrid. She also appears on Real Madrid TV. In her tweet, she mentioned that the player feels ‘discomfort’ in his left leg, and tests for the same will be conducted tomorrow. She also reported that Ødegaard trained inside the club’s facilities alongside Eden Hazard and Mariano.
So far, the extent of the injury is unknown, and we will come to know about it once the MRI tests are conducted tomorrow. Although he seems to be doubtful for the game on Wednesday, he is not completely ruled out. If the results of the tests are positive, he might be available for selection. It doesn’t seem to be serious in my opinion.
However, Real Madrid could be treading heavy water if Ødegaard, god forbid, misses the crunch tie against the Bundesliga outfit. That would leave the already thin Real Madrid midfield with even lesser options.
Since Zidane opted for midfield consisting of Casemiro against Sevilla, there is a big chance he could start in the Champions League in two days’ time. Borussia Mönchengladbach have shown that they are no pushovers, scoring the most goals in the group (16), 7 more than the next best team Real Madrid.
The sort of arsenal at the Die Fohlen’s disposal and the huge threat it possesses to a penetrative Los Blancos defence can be nullified with Casemiro’s presence on the pitch. Although his form has been topsy-turvy this season (possibly due to exceeding his physical capabilities by playing relentlessly last season for both club and country), the value the Brazilian brings to this side cannot be undermined.
What also needs to be taken into consideration is the fact that both Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić have started in a run of games, especially the latter, who would be making his seventh consecutive start if he starts against Mönchengladbach.
Both Kroos and Modrić were among the top performers during an ill-fated November. With the midfield running thin, Zidane will be left with no option but to start these two alongside Casemiro. Real Madrid can’t seem to catch a break with injuries. If one of those two midfielders suffer an injury owing to physical wear out, the crisis will only deepen.
Anyway, let’s hope Ødegaard’s issue is nothing serious and he can be available for the final UEFA Champions League group stage match.