Real Madrid News
Real Madrid superstar ruled out of Shakhtar Donetsk clash, midfielder a doubt
As per the latest updates from Jose Luis Sanchez, Real Madrid superstar Thibaut Courtois has been ruled out of the upcoming UEFA Champions League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Belgian shot-stopper missed the La Liga encounter against CA Osasuna on Sunday night due to an injury, but manager Carlo Ancelotti insisted that the issue was not serious. However, he had expressed doubts over whether his first-choice goalkeeper will be ready in time for the midweek game.
And now, as per the update from the aforementioned journalist, it seems like Courtois has been definitively ruled out of the encounter against the Ukrainian giants on Wednesday night.
Courtois has grown into one of Real Madrid’s most pivotal players and not having him available for selection for important games such as the UCL encounter on Wednesday will certainly be a blow.
Journalist Sergi Valentin states that there is no exact timeline for his recovery at this point. But there is hope that the former Chelsea star will return to full fitness in time for the first El Clasico of the season which will be played at the Santiago Bernabeu on October 16.
But, ahead of the Shakhtar Donetsk game, there could be more injury woes for Ancelotti as AS has reported that midfielder Eduardo Camavinga did not train with the rest of the team earlier today and did only some indoor work.
The teenager could have stood to gain some minutes in the upcoming game as the manager would be looking to protect the likes of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos for the huge encounter against Barcelona.
However, Camavinga’s involvement has now been cast into doubt due to his non-participation in team training with the rest of the squad.
But there is some good news though as Modric, who had returned with a minor injury from the international break, trained with the group as expected. Lucas Vazquez, too, was seen going through the session, which will be a boost for Los Blancos.
After three successive wins to start the season, a 1-0 loss to Real Betis came as a reality check for Real Madrid, who are still some way off matching the quality and consistency of Barcelona.
In light of the defeat, the Real Madrid coaching staff is analysing the best way to get the most out of the current setup.
More expected from Valverde
According to Defensa Central, one of the key conclusions drawn from the Betis defeat is that Real Madrid need greater involvement from Federico Valverde with the ball.
The Uruguayan has been deployed as the pivot, largely due to the absence of the injured Aurelien Tchouameni, but he is yet to make the step up in quality the team requires from that role.
While his effort and commitment are never in doubt, Mourinho and his staff, led by Sami Khedira, feel Valverde spends too much time positioned behind the opposition’s midfield line.
As a result, he fails to offer passing lanes to his teammates when they are under pressure, forcing them into hurried, aimless clearances rather than playing out cleanly from the back.
That concern has already been communicated to Valverde, who is still adapting to a position he has never truly played, making the challenge all the more difficult for him.
A collective issue to fix
However, the problem is not Valverde’s alone, with the coaching staff identifying a wider issue in the team’s structure.
Khedira has reportedly noted a certain passivity from the attackers in the videos of the match, particularly Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, when it comes to offering themselves as the ball transitions from midfield into attacking areas.
That lack of movement compounds the difficulties for the deeper midfielders.
Mourinho, for his part, remains unfazed by the departure of Rodri to Barcelona, insisting his squad has the tools to cope.
“I’m not missing Rodri. We have solutions, we have quality,” the Portuguese said, before adding that he backs his ability to improve players.
With a Champions League opener against Inter Milan on the horizon, Mourinho and his staff will be keen to iron out these issues quickly.
