Real Madrid News
Injury update: Real Madrid duo to miss the first two games of the new season
AS provides an update on the recoveries of two of Real Madrid’s injured stars. According to the Spanish outlet, Ferland Mendy will return from injury in two weeks, while Ceballos would need around 20 days to make a comeback.
Mendy’s injury at El Clasico
Mendy was expected to go out all guns blazing in the pre-season to warrant a starting spot ahead of new signing Fran Garcia.
However, his dreams came crashing down when he had to be taken off during the game against Barcelona.
Tests conducted by the Merengues’ medical staff revealed an injury to his right femoral biceps muscle, and the initial prognosis placed his time out at two weeks.
Seven days later, Mendy is still expected to require two more weeks to return to action. His recovery is progressing slower than expected and he will miss the first part of the new season.
Ceballos’ untimely blow
The heavy competition in Real Madrid’s midfield is well known. With new signings coming in to pile the pressure on Dani Ceballos, the Spaniard was expected to use the pre-season campaign to win the manager’s trust.
However, he suffered an injury in the early pre-season and missed the US tour. He was diagnosed with an injury to the distal tendon of his right femoral biceps muscle and was expected to be out for around six weeks.
Similar to Mendy, it is safe to say that the midfielder too is running behind schedule on his recovery and will still need close to three weeks to recover.
Approaching the season opener
Los Blancos begin their league season on Saturday against Athletic Club and play Almeria six days later. And, as things stand, both Ceballos and Mendy look set to miss those two matches.
Mendy could make his comeback for the team’s third game against Celta Vigo towards the end of the month whereas Ceballos might have to wait until the clash with Getafe in September.
Real Madrid have identified the midfield department as a key area of the squad that needs strengthening next year.
Having failed to sign Rodri this past summer, the Merengues understand that a major signing is necessary in the position.
Several names have already been linked as potential targets for the Spanish capital club, one of whom happens to be AFC Bournemouth rising star Alex Scott.
Indeed, Real Madrid have scouted the England international this season and are continuing to closely monitor his development in the Premier League.
However, competition for the 23-year-old midfielder’s services is already heating up.
AC Milan eye Alex Scott
Indeed, according to Tutto Mercato (h/t AS), Italian giants AC Milan have set their sights on Scott to replace Real Madrid legend Luka Modric next season.
Modric, at 41, is entering the final phase of his career and his contract with the Rossoneri stands to expire at the end of the ongoing campaign.
As such, the Serie A heavyweights will need to rope in a replacement and have seemingly identified Scott, who is also on Real Madrid’s radar, as an option.
Apart from AC Milan, even Chelsea and Liverpool have also shown interest in the 23-year-old England star, and might even be willing to make a move for him in January.
This complicates the situation for Real Madrid, who would ideally wait until the summer of 2027 to reinforce their midfield unit.
€50 million for Scott?
Furthermore, the report states that Scott is valued by Bournemouth at around €50 million, a fee that could be an issue for AC Milan.
That figure, however, should not pose a challenge for Real Madrid. Nonetheless, the increasing competition for the 23-year-old’s services could drive up the price further, making things complicated.
For now, though, Real Madrid’s interest in Scott has been limited to scouting and monitoring his progress and compiling reports on him.
Whether it translates into a formal approach and offer in the summer or in January itself remains to be seen.
