The defense of Real Madrid adds almost 100 games of loss

Ferland Mendy is the penultimate casualty that Zinedine Zidane has for the game against Granada. Penultimate because although Odriozola looks strong enough to play against the Nasrid team, he will surely fall from the list of players of the white team that starts in the Andalusian city. And what is no longer new. Produce a new sudoku defensive for Zidane, which has seen how the starting defense has given way to a new defense due to the injuries that have been undermining the white squad: this year it has already reached 60 injuries among all the players. A brutal, cruel and discouraging figure.

Of the defense composed of Carvajal, Varane, Ramos and Mendy (the owner who played the first league game against Real Sociedad (0-0)), Zidane is going to be forced to line up Valverde, Militao, Nacho and Marcelo. That is if he does not want to introduce Marvin (he played as a right winger in the victory against Getafe (2-0) in Valdebebas). The truth is the starting defense has only started in seven of the 35 league games that have been played (20% of the total, that is to say the fifth part)… And this year fatality has appeared in the defensive zone in an overwhelming way.

The first to fall was Dani Carvajal. The Madrid side has only been able to participate in 13 league matches. First, he suffered an injury to the internal lateral ligament, to later suffer several muscle injuries that have prevented him from performing throughout the season: after having ailments in the thigh, he had a muscle injury in the right thigh with affectation of the tendon that postponed two months. On his return, in the derby against Atlético, he suffered a semi-membranous muscle injury in his right leg that will prevent him from finishing the season. He is going to lose 25 league games …

Carvajal he was relieved by both Odriozola and Lucas Vázquez. The former has only participated in 10 league matches: Carvajal was injured and he suffered an injury to the calf of his left leg. An injury from which he relapsed in the middle of his recovery and that kept him apart until the beginning of 2021. Now he suffers from a muscular overload, which can prevent him from playing against Granada, although it is not serious. It is expected that he can do it against Athletic next Sunday. Your partner Lucas Vázquez has been the one who has played the most games as a winger. The Galician was injured in the Clásico due to a hard tackle by Busquets (torn cruciate ligament), and will miss the remainder of the season. Curtis's had adapted phenomenally to that new location: he had participated in 13 games starting in that demarcation, and in another four he delayed his position after having started as a right inside. Zidane found an invaluable resource in the youth squad.

But the most striking is the case of Sergio Ramos. The captain, in his last campaign in white? He has suffered up to eight muscle injuries that have prevented him from performing at his highest level. Barely has played 15 league games (out of 35 possible): He has overcome from a fiber break (three games away), Coronavirus (another two), stomach pains (another), a muscle injury (four) … to a tear in the meniscus that has forced him to undergo surgery (eight games). It is now low due to a sore tendon. His partner on the axis, Varane, is poor due to muscle discomfort in the quadriceps, but will be available for Sunday's meeting. Apart from the match against Sevilla, they have only missed two matches due to Coronavirus. He is the one that has suffered the least in this regard.

His relays, Militao and Nacho have also suffered injuries. The former missed the first league matches due to trauma (muscle discomfort in his left leg), and then another four encounters for discomfort in an adductor. Another was also lost due to Coronavirus. The youth squad, meanwhile, is the defender who has missed the fewest games: four, two of them due to Coronavirus, and the other two due to a thigh injury.. Even Chust, who played against Getafe (in both games), has been injured.

On the left side, Marcelo has missed four games: one due to back pain, and another three due to various muscular ailments (two of them from the left soleus). Against Sevilla he suffered a strong blow that made him play slightly touched before being replaced by Miguel Gutiérrez. And now Mendy has fallen, missing five games … and the three remaining to end the season. A tibial periostitis will prevent it …