Despite sealing the Clasico: 24 worrying hours at Real Madrid
24 pivotal hours
Real Madrid enjoyed an exceptional night at the Camp Nou yesterday, settling the Clasico against Barcelona with a 2-1 win. The joy of the Royal Club was not without concern, though, after one of its most prominent stars picked up an injury during the match.
Attention now turns to Uruguay's Federico Valverde. He left the pitch with muscular pain and will wait on the results of medical tests scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, at the Valdebebas centre.
According to the Spanish newspaper "Marca" the Real Madrid captain felt muscular pain during the first half, but insisted on playing on even as Denzel Dumfries began to warm up in case he was needed.
Valverde lasted until roughly the middle of the second half before his physical condition forced him off. He had pushed through for more than 40 minutes.
The paper reads the signs as contradictory. The player's ability to keep going may suggest the injury was not serious at the outset, yet carrying on through the pain raises fears it could have worsened.
Tomorrow's tests at Valdebebas will determine the severity of the injury and whether he faces a spell on the sidelines.
His absence would sting all the more given the major role he plays in Carlo Madrid's line-up. He has shone once again at right-back and become one of the key figures behind the team's improvement across its recent matches.
Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid's manager, praised Valverde's determination to play through the injury and insisted he gave everything he had during his time on the pitch.
The Portuguese coach said after the match: "There is another name I do not want to overlook mentioning, which is Valverde, who played more than 40 minutes while injured. He suffered an injury, but he wanted to continue and reach his limits, and he gave everything he had throughout his time on the pitch."
Caught between the euphoria of victory in the Clasico and the fears over their captain, Real Madrid await the results. They will hope a night of triumph over their traditional rivals does not cost them one of their most important players in the weeks ahead.
