Real Madrid confirm Federico Valverde has a serious ankle sprain

Real Madrid have confirmed that Federico Valverde will be sidelined for several weeks after medical tests diagnosed a grade-three sprain to his left ankle.

The club issued a statement after examinations were carried out by its medical staff, saying: “Following the tests carried out today by Real Madrid’s medical team on our player Federico Valverde, he has been diagnosed with a grade-three sprain to his left ankle. His progress will be monitored.”

The injury is likely to rule the Uruguay international out of Real Madrid’s first match after the international break, although the club has not officially specified how long he will be unavailable.

Valverde was hurt during the derby after a strong challenge from South Korean player Kang-in Lee. The incident prompted an angry reaction from Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho, who called for Lee to be shown a red card. The referee did not send the player off.

Real Madrid initially said after the match that Valverde had suffered a serious injury to his left ankle. Further tests have now confirmed both the nature of the problem and its severity.

A grade-three ankle sprain is generally associated with significant damage to the ankle ligaments and can require several weeks of recovery. As a result, Valverde’s earliest possible return remains uncertain.

The injury also affects Uruguay’s plans. Valverde had been included in the national team squad, but he is now out of manager Diego Forlan’s plans for the upcoming fixtures.

Uruguay are due to play Japan on 24 September, South Korea on 28 September and India on 6 October. Valverde will miss all three matches as he begins his recovery.

For Real Madrid, his participation against Villarreal on 10 October appears highly unlikely. That fixture will be the club’s first after the international break and is scheduled to take place at Santiago Bernabeu.

The extent of the problem is particularly significant because Valverde was able to complete the derby after the challenge. The seriousness of the left-ankle injury only became clear when the subsequent medical examinations were completed.