Real Madrid duo to be assessed after suffering injury issues

Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois and Federico Valverde are set to be assessed by the club’s medical staff after suffering issues against Rayo Vallecano.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and midfielder Federico Valverde are set to be assessed by the club’s medical staff after suffering issues during Sunday’s goalless draw against Rayo Vallecano.

Valverde was replaced by Trent Alexander-Arnold in the latter stages of the La Liga affair, with the Uruguay international looking uncomfortable when he departed the field.

During his post-match press conference, Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso confirmed that Valverde had suffered an issue.

Courtois was able to complete the 90 minutes, but according to Marca, the goalkeeper finished the match with physical discomfort and will now be assessed.

Real Madrid will not be back in action until a trip to Elche on November 23, although the issues could rule Valverde and Courtois out of representing Uruguay and Belgium respectively during the international break.

Courtois, Valverde suffered issues in Real Madrid’s draw with Rayo Vallecano

Alonso said after the match that Valverde was suffering with “discomfort”, while Courtois’ issue is believed to relate to his right thigh, but the extent of the damage is unclear at this stage.

Real Madrid entered the clash with Rayo off the back of a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League, and they were unable to return to winning ways, but the capital giants remain top of the La Liga table, three points ahead of second-placed Barcelona.

“We were prepared for a demanding game. Both this year and in previous years, it’s always been difficult for us to take the lead and have a good game because Rayo demand a lot from you,” Alonso told reporters.

“Especially in the second half, it was a game of transitions. They take you into a context where the matches are at a frenetic pace. It was like that today as well.

“After the Anfield game, which is now behind us, today was one of those games that is a bit difficult to bring us back to the level we want to be in.

Alonso: ‘Liverpool game impacted us against Rayo’

“In the second half anything could have happened. I don’t put it down to emotional peaks. We want to be very stable in our preparation and in our mentality, because we know that the league is about taking it one game at a time. We couldn’t get the win today.

“I’m concerned that we must keep growing, improving, and engaging in positive self-reflection. This is Madrid and we all know where we are. It’s still November, there’s a long way to go. We have to be demanding of ourselves and also prudent.

“We didn’t win every duel, but we didn’t lose them all either. Today was a very competitive match, with Rayo playing a lot on the transition. In the second half, the defence held up very well.

“We know where we are. You have to know how to balance the good times and the bad times. It’s a long season. The demands are huge, but we can cope with them and we’re preparing for them.”

Real Madrid have won 10, drawn one and lost one of their 12 La Liga matches this season, scoring 26 times and conceding 10, boasting the joint-best defensive record in the division at this stage.

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