Real Madrid News
Chelsea midfielder likely to miss Real Madrid clash due to injury – report
Real Madrid and Chelsea will lock horns for the third time in a row in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages next week.
The European champions will host the Premier League big-spenders in the first leg of the UCL quarter-final at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 12 before travelling to Stamford Bridge for the second leg a week later.
Ahead of the clash at the Bernabeu, Chelsea have been dealt with an injury setback as midfielder Mason Mount is expected to miss the match against Real Madrid.
This claim comes from Simon Johnson of The Athletic, who is reporting that the England international has suffered a relapse of his abdomen injury.
Chelsea changed their managers recently, re-hiring Frank Lampard as a caretaker boss until the end of the season, replacing Graham Potter.
Mount had been a regular fixture in the starting lineups under Lampard during his previous stint as the Chelsea boss. The Englishman, however, had lost prominence during Potter’s reign and was being tipped to leave the club this summer.
But Lampard’s return provided a glimmer of hope that Mount would once again become an important player at Chelsea.
The 24-year-old midfielder has not played for the Blues since February due to an abdomen injury. He had returned to the bench for the last two games against Aston Villa and Liverpool and had trained normally in the lead-up to Chelsea’s game against Wolves today.
However, Mount’s name was missing when Lampard announced the first lineup of his second stint, with the academy graduate absent from the squad because of the reoccurrence of the injury.
Now, there are doubts over whether Mount will be available for Wednesday night’s match against Real Madrid.
While he may have not been a key player this term, the England star possesses quality in abundance and his possible absence will come as a boost for Real Madrid.
In what will come as a pleasing development for fans, Fabrizio Romano reports that Real Madrid forward Rodrygo could make a comeback from his injury earlier than expected.
The 25-year-old Brazilian international has been out of action since March after suffering an ACL injury during a La Liga game against Getafe.
Due to the complete rupture of the ACL, coupled with associated meniscus damage, it was suggested that the attacker was staring at a lengthy time out on the sidelines and might not return until 2027.
In fact, the forward’s father, Eric Goes, recently stated in an interview that the Real Madrid ace could be back in February next year, just before the business end of the campaign.
Rodrygo could be back in December
However, as per the update from Romano, Rodrygo’s comeback could happen well before that expected date.
Indeed, if things continue to progress at the current rate, the 25-year-old attacker might return to action in December or by January 2027 at the latest.
This will come as a welcome boost for Jose Mourinho & co., considering that Rodrygo is a valuable player for the team.
Even though he had endured a tough spell prior to his form, the Brazilian’s versatility, work rate off the ball, and eye for a goal make him an asset.
Rodrygo eager to be back at his best
The update from Romano further states that Rodrygo feels very grateful to Real Madrid for all the help and support they have given him during this difficult phase of his career.
As such, the Brazilian international has made it a mission to return to action in the best shape possible and make an impact from the get-go.
The attacker has only recently begun working on the pitch with the ball indicating the significant progress he has made on the road to recovery.
And, if there are no setbacks, Real Madrid could recover one of their ace attackers before the end of the current year.
So far in his career, Rodrygo has made 297 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 71 goals. He has a contract with the club until 2028.
