Published 11:33 IST, February 15th 2021
Zinedine Zidane accepts that he doesn't understand Real Madrid injury crisis
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has admitted that he is yet to understand the main reason behind the injury crisis at the club since the start of the season.
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Real Madrid have had a tough time while defending their LaLiga title ever since the start of the current campaign. There could be countable situations when manager Zinedine Zidane could have had the entire squad at his disposal. The injury crisis has spelt trouble for Los Blancos as they tumble in LaLiga, even as the three-time Champions League-winning manager is finding it difficult to understand the reason for such complexities.
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Hazard injury history: Nine injuries in less than two seasons
Several key players have sustained injuries throughout the course of the entire season. Eden Hazard has been particularly vulnerable and is yet to establish himself despite playing his second season at the Spanish capital. The Belgian forward has gone on to sustain nine injuries ever since his move from Chelsea.
He has already missed more than 40 games, with the number set to increase in the coming weeks. Most recently, right-back Daniel Carvajal had to be withdrawn from the game against Valencia on Sunday. The Spain international now joins Hazard, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Rodrygo, Federico Valverde and Eder Militao on the sidelines.
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Zidane concerned over frequent Real Madrid injury struggle
Zidane is yet to understand the reason behind several Real Madrid injuries, as he spoke following the 2-0 victory over Valencia. The manager claims he is worried about frequent injuries to his players. "As a coach, injuries bother me," said the manager. "But I can't explain the reasoning to you. As a coach, having injuries is the worst. They've come back to hurt us again."
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The 48-year-old Los Blancos boss claims he is concerned about the recent injury to Daniel Carvajal. "I'm sorry for Carva. He played 25 minutes very well and I'm upset because he's very important to us." Indeed, Real Madrid's worrying injury crisis has been the key deterrent in the team's title chase, with city rivals Atletico Madrid now in the driving seat.
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Zidane stats as Real Madrid sit second in LaLiga
Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos scored a goal each to bag three points against Valencia. This season, the manager has helped his side to rake up 15 victories in 23 LaLiga games this season. The defending champions were forced to share the spoils on four occasions but bagged none in another four games. Zidane's men sit second in the LaLiga standings at the moment, with a five-point deficit against Rojiblancos, despite playing two games more.
Image courtesy: Real Madrid Twitter
11:33 IST, February 15th 2021