With just over two weeks to go until Real Madrid face Atalanta in their Champions League Round of 16 first leg tie, the Spanish giants have been hit with a huge blow.
According to a report from COPE, cited by Sport, Los Blancos captain, Sergio Ramos, will have to undergo surgery for a meniscus injury which means that he’ll be missing for six weeks.
That would rule him out of a number of games including their European assignment against the Italians as well as the Madrid derby against cross-city rivals and La Liga leaders, Atletico.
There’s an outside chance he could make the Champions League second-leg game, though Zinedine Zidane is unlikely to want to rush his captain back given that he will be required for the business end of the season.
Not to mention that Florentino Perez is still trying to ascertain whether Ramos will remain with the club at the end of the campaign or will end his career elsewhere.
Given that Real are often at sixes and sevens in defence without Ramos’ warrior-like presence, the next few weeks are crucial for Zidane and the rest of the Real squad, all of whom can ill-afford to drop down any lower than third in the league table or be knocked out of Europe.