Real Madrid Confirms Valverde's Injury, Uruguayan Escapes Worse Fate

Real Madrid has officially confirmed the injury to midfielder Federico Valverde. The club's official statement verifies that the Uruguayan midfielder has suffered a Grade 3 sprain in his left ankle and will be sidelined for a significant period.

The injury resulted from a harsh tackle by Kang-in Lee during the derby, an incident for which coach Jose Mourinho vehemently argued for a red card, though the Korean player escaped without sanction. As is customary for Real Madrid, no precise recovery timeline has been provided, but he is expected to be out for 2 to 3 weeks. This comes as somewhat good news for the club and the player himself, as there were serious concerns at the Bernabéu that the injury could have been much more severe.

"Following today's examinations of our player Fede Valverde by the Real Madrid medical team, he has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 sprain in his left ankle. His condition will be monitored," reads the official club statement. Immediately after Sunday's derby, Real Madrid initially reported that the player had sustained a "severe injury to his left ankle."

Valverde is somewhat fortunate that the international break is now underway, meaning the footballer will miss his national team's friendly matches against Japan (September 24), South Korea (September 28), and India (October 6).

Regarding his return to action for Real Madrid, his participation in the first match after the international break is almost certainly ruled out. This refers to the home game against Villarreal at the Bernabéu on October 10.

A Grade 3 sprain typically involves a partial ligament tear and usually makes walking difficult, although Valverde managed to finish the derby after sustaining the blow just before the end of the first half. On October 14, Real Madrid visits Roma in the Champions League, and four days later, they host Sevilla in La Liga, with Los Blancos hoping the midfielder will return for one of these matches.