Real Madrid left back Ferland Mendy suffered an injury shortly before the club’s Copa del Rey quarterfinals fixture against Athletic Bilbao. And as usually seems to be the case, Los Blancos lost without their starting left-sided defender at San Mames, 1-0.
Now, Real lost because of their attack, not their defense, but for many Madridistas, that does not change the overall fact that the team is statistically less successful without the French left back in the starting XI.
So naturally, Madridistas want to know when Mendy will be back. Specifically, will Mendy be able to return by Tuesday, Feb. 15, when Los Blancos travel to the Parc des Princes to take on PSG in the Champions League Round of 16?
According to MARCA’s Pablo Polo, Ferland Mendy is expected to return to the Real Madrid lineup against PSG in a couple of weeks, even citing the player’s importance to the team winning matches.
It would be a surprise if Ferland Mendy misses PSG vs. Real Madrid
Mendy has frustrated fans with his attacking issues, and there is also the more important matter of Mendy possibly committing physical and sexual assault against a woman while he was playing for Lyon. Real Madrid have never addressed this issue, but it remains on the minds of fans, especially as the summer draws nearer.
From the club’s perspective on the pitch, Mendy is important to them winning, and whenever he is ready to play, he will start. He is one of the best defensive fullbacks in the world, and that solidity helps Los Merengues immensely. Despite his technical flaws and poor crosses, Mendy is a good carrier of the ball and is an attacking asset when he keeps his passing simple.
PSG and Real Madrid are two evenly-matched teams, and Real know they will need all hands on deck to win. That may be doubly so defensively, because they know what Kylian Mbappe is capable of. He is their dream transfer target, after all. And with Neymar expected to return after initial fears from PSG that he would be out with injury, Mendy could become even more important to Real winning.
Expect Mendy and Karim Benzema to both play. All the chips are on the table for Real against PSG, who are something of a new rival for Los Blancos. Keep an eye out for updates regarding Mendy just in case, but it seems like it would be a surprise if he cannot recover in time for this Champions League knockout stage tilt.