Real Madrid News
Official: Lucas Vazquez picks up thigh injury, will be out for 2-3 weeks
The new season is not even one month in and Carlo Ancelotti already faces an acute injury crisis in his squad. Karim Benzema and Eder Militao suffered injuries in the team’s game against Celtic in Glasgow and face over two weeks out. Now, another name has joined that list.
Real Madrid have officially announced that medical tests carried out on Lucas Vazquez reveal an injury to the Gracilis muscle of his right thigh. His recovery will dictate his return, but it is expected that he will be out for another 2-3 weeks, at least.
The right-back was forced off in the final 20 minutes against Mallorca, with Daniel Carvajal replacing him off the bench. This comes as a big blow to Ancelotti’s plans as the Spaniard was performing at a very high level this season.
In his 71 minutes on Sunday, Vazquez was defensively sound with a clearance, two interceptions and two tackles. He also won seven duels and made one key pass on the night.
The 31-year-old is ruled out of Real Madrid’s UEFA Champions League clash against RB Leipzig midweek, and Carvajal is expected to start at right-back in his absence. Needless to say, Ancelotti will hope to have his player back before the Madrid Derby next week.
In four league games this season, the defender has scored one goal and averages over six defensive actions per game. It is difficult to believe that the player was a winger for the team a few seasons ago, for he is now well established as the backup right-back in the side.
Real Madrid News
Kylian Mbappe fires back at critics over his Real Madrid role: ‘A player who scores goals will never be the problem’
Kylian Mbappe has started the new season for Real Madrid in great form, scoring five goals in five games so far.
The Frenchman has continued from where he left off last season, with seemingly no drop in his scoring rate, and he could have had one more had he not missed his penalty against Real Betis.
The 27-year-old superstar has pushed back against criticism of his contribution to Real Madrid, insisting that his goalscoring should not be treated as a problem.
Mbappe’s logic is that the fundamental objective of football is to outscore the opposition and that, therefore, goalscoring should never be seen as an issue.
As quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Mbappe addressed the issue in an interview with L’Equipe, where he spoke openly about criticism of his defensive work and the constant scrutiny associated with him.
Mbappe responds to criticism
The Madrid forward believes people have become so accustomed to his attacking production that attention naturally shifts towards what he does not provide.
“Is it normal that people forget my goals and focus on the defensive work? No, but that is the life of someone who has been close to excellence for 10 years. I am not new to this. Everyone knows what I can do,” Mbappe said.
“It is human to look at what someone does not do. When someone has been doing something for 10 years, we stop looking at it because we know he can do it, so we look at what he is not doing. I do not take it personally.”
Mbappe’s standards are so high that scoring regularly can almost be taken for granted. However, one has to remember how remarkable that consistency is.
‘A player who scores goals will never be a problem’
Mbappe was even firmer when discussing suggestions that his goals may not necessarily translate into collective success.
“It makes no sense. If I do not score goals, they are going to ask me why I am not scoring,” he said.
“As a footballer, I have learned that there are millions of coaches in every match you play, and not all of those coaches are happy. Everyone has an opinion, but in football the objective is to score more goals than the opponent.”
Then came his clearest message.
“A player who scores goals will never be the problem of a team, because no team has ever won titles without scoring goals.”
Madrid need balance, not less of Mbappe
Mbappe’s argument is difficult to dismiss.
Even if they say “attack wins you games, defence wins you tournaments”, you cannot win games unless you score goals, and you cannot win tournaments unless you win games.
Madrid can demand more collective work from every player, especially under Jose Mourinho, without pretending elite goalscoring is somehow secondary.
The real challenge is finding the right balance.
Madrid need Mbappe to remain devastating in front of goal while fitting into the team’s pressing and defensive structure. Those demands are not one or the other.
If anything, Mourinho’s task is to build a system that protects Mbappe’s greatest strength while still making Madrid harder to play against.
Mbappe’s goals are not, and never will be, the problem. The onus is on the manager to bring those strengths out in a system that also preserves the defensive structure.
