Real Madrid have suffered another blow in midfield, as Aurelien Tchouameni has been ruled out after sustaining a muscle injury.
The club confirmed the setback through an official statement earlier today, while reports from AS suggest the French midfielder could be sidelined for around three weeks.
The medical update issued by the club read,
"Following tests carried out today on our player Aurelien Tchouameni by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a semitendinosus muscle injury in his left leg. His recovery will be monitored."
The news comes at a difficult time for Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso, who has been relying heavily on Tchouameni to provide balance in midfield.
The 25-year-old has been a vital part of the team’s new structure, often serving as the shield in front of the defence – a role that has become increasingly important in recent weeks as Madrid continue to refine their tactical identity.
As a result of these developments, Tchouameni will now miss Sunday’s La Liga clash against Rayo Vallecano and has also been ruled out of the French national team’s upcoming fixtures.
The club’s plan is to have him fully recovered and available after the international break, although a potential return against Elche is also in doubt.
Meanwhile, the Olympiacos match on November 26 is marked as a potential return date.
It is a particularly frustrating setback for both the player and the manager. Alonso had recently begun to carefully manage the midfielder’s minutes to keep him fresh for crucial fixtures.
That is why Tchouameni only featured in the first half of last week’s dominant 4-0 win against Valencia, an early sign that his workload was being monitored.