Real Madrid break once again

Posted Friday, October 05, 2018 by Marca.com

Just like last season, Real Madrid have broken again at the first hurdle with poor results and injury worries causing Julen Lopetegui a serious headache.

With the news that Dani Carvajal has now picked up an injury, five Real Madrid players in the last month have picked up knocks, leaving Lopetegui with a severe lack of resources in his squad.

Isco, Marcelo, Gareth Bale, Alvaro Odriozola and now Carvajal again are all currently sidelined - key players missing at a time when Real Madrid need them most.

From eight to five

History repeats itself because the same happened last season. Zinedine Zidane also suffered from a plague of injuries in the early stages of the last campaign, and in fact had to cope with far fewer players than Lopetegui.

Last year between September and October eight Los Blancos players were missing through injury. Bale, Karim Benzema, Dani Carvajal, Marcelo, Jesus Vallejo, Theo Hernandez, Toni Kroos and Mateo Kovacic were all absent, leaving the French coach in a very delicate situation.

Some of these were also serious injuries as Kovacic spent two and a half months out, Bale who was on the sidelines for a month and a half and Carvajal couldn't play for six weeks.

No risks with Bale

Lopetegui will now have little choice but to squeeze as much out of the players that are available as possible. The injury to Carvajal serves as a wake up call and somewhat vindicates the coach's decision to leave Sergio Ramos at home for the game in Moscow.

It is therefore likely that Bale, despite not suffering from any niggles, will not be risked against Alaves on Saturday.

The Welshman has had wretched luck with his fitness in recent seasons and now he is needed more than ever as Real face life without Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lopetegui will cross his fingers and hope that this bad run of knocks ends soon.

He'll also be praying that the injury to Carvajal is not a serious one so the right back can return to the squad as soon as possible.