Real Madrid captain suffers injury blow after controversial Atletico Madrid derby tackle

Real Madrid captain suffers injury blow after controversial Atletico Madrid derby tackle Real Madrid’s derby defeat to Atletico Madrid came under controversial circumstances, with refereeing decisions taking centre stage. Los Blancos lost 2-1 to Atletico Madrid after being reduced to 10 men in the second half, with Dean Huijsen receiving a red card. Their derby defeat to Los Colchoneros has brought another significant setback, with Fede Valverde expected to spend the next few weeks on the sidelines. According to Guillermo Rai of The Athletic , Valverde is expected to miss between two and three weeks after suffering an injury to his left ankle following Kang-in Lee’s challenge. Valverde facing spell on the sidelines The injury occurred during a derby already surrounded by refereeing controversy from a Real Madrid perspective. Kang-in’s challenge on Valverde was one of the incidents Jose Mourinho highlighted after the match. Federico Valverde was on the receiving end of a rash challenge against Atletico Madrid . (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) The Madrid coach argued that the tackle deserved a red card , even producing an image of it during his post-match press conference. Valverde has now been left with an ankle problem as a result of the challenge. A two-to-three-week lay-off, though, should not affect Madrid in the immediate future. Uruguay call-up now unlikely Valverde is also not expected to travel with Uruguay for the upcoming international break. Madrid staff do not anticipate the midfielder joining his national team, meaning he should instead remain at the club and focus entirely on his recovery. The timing of the international break therefore works in Madrid’s favour. Valverde can potentially complete a significant part of his rehabilitation without missing as many club matches. Even so, Valverde is one of the players Mourinho would rather not lose. His physical intensity, ability to cover enormous spaces and tactical versatility give Madrid qualities that are difficult to replicate with one replacement. His leadership qualities as the captain of this side also cannot be understated as Los Blancos look to become more consistent after the break. Players need to be protected better by referees in La Liga. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) It could have been worse Valverde’s injury proves yet again that the refereeing in La Liga needs to step up a notch to bring player welfare to the forefront. If challenges causing injuries such as this one go scot-free, it provides further incentive for players to turn the game into a physical battle. Madrid may have lucked out this time, with the injury coming on the cusp of the international break and shielding Valverde from a prolonged absence. However, on another occasion, such a challenge could end up having catastrophic consequences for Madrid, and it remains to be seen how long Valverde takes before he recovers and returns to action for Mourinho’s team.