The '3,000 minute report' conditions Zidane

Zidane does not usually offer details of the momentum Physique of the squad so as not to give clues to rivals. But he has no longer been able to hide the evidence. Injuries accumulate, the players touched multiply and the stretch of the season forces to add more coal to the boiler if possible. “We are at the limit”, he warned after the Classic. Against Getafe He had no choice but to rotate Kroos and Benzema because they are effectively on the wire of muscular resistance. “We have to go with the head,” insisted the Marseille after the 0-0 with the Coliseum. There is a reason.

In different studies, which have been in the hands of the medical bodies of the elite clubs for a decade, it is estimated that When soccer players exceed 3,000 minutes in high competition, the risk of a muscle injury due to fatigue increases by more than 30 percent. The variable to measure it is to analyze the CPK, an enzyme called creatine phospho kinase that is measured in the blood and It serves as a scale to check if there is muscle exhaustion and therefore risk of breakage or micro-breakage of fibers. If the levels skyrocket, it is a sign of overexertion.

There are five field players who have already overcome that barrier of 3,000 minutes of play with Madrid and their national teams. Most widely. Is about Varane (3,835 ', drop due to coronavirus), followed by Modric (3,733 '), Mendy (3,379 '), currently injured, and from behind they come Kroos (3,373 '), Casemiro (3,346 ') that forcibly rotated against the Geta by penalty and Benzema (3,103 '). The jump in demand until the next one, the injured Lucas Vázquez (2,780 '), is appreciable.

Kroos, between blankets

For Zidane, being careful is essential to face Chelsea. From here until he focuses on preparing for the second leg at Stamford Bridge (May 5), he will have four games beforehand (Cádiz, Betis, the first leg against the Blues and Osasuna) in twelve days. Any muscle injury in that section would leave the player in question without material recovery time in full swing of deciding to go to the final in Istanbul. For that and because it was touched, Kroos did not jump to the Coliseum grass although Madrid was stuck at 0-0 and Zidane chose to make his debut for a footballer from the German court, the Castillian Antonio Blanco. Forced rotations, like Benzema's, although Karim did play the last 25 minutes because Mariano's bellows, who added 50 days without starting, did not give for more.

A scenario that forces almost medical miracles like that of Modric, who only suffered a contracture in December (six days off), has started 15 of the last 16 games and had to support the improvised midfield against Getafe with Asensio, Isco and Rodrygo as assistants. The Croatian denies the 35 years of his passport thanks to the intervention of a fitness guru. But his is an unusual case. This Madrid is on the verge of suffering even more injuries. Another challenge, almost a tightrope walker, for Zidane in a season that does not stop forcing the Marseille coach to the most difficult yet.