If there's any Real Madrid player that's impressed over the last few weeks, it's... Cristiano Ronaldo. Or possibly Gonzalo Higuain. But Angel di Maria wouldn't be too far down your list, which means that it's pretty bad news for the club that he's picked up a hamstring injury and will be missing for about a month. The winger was forced off the pitch early in second half of Madrid's demolition of Osasuna on Sunday, and scans have indicated that he's suffered a Grade 1 hamstring tear, which doesn't actually sound that bad. From SportsInjuryClinic, here's the deal with a Grade 1 tear:
- May have tightness in the posterior thigh.
- Probably able to walk normally however will be aware of some discomfort
- Minimal swelling.
- Lying on front and trying to bend the knee against resistance probably won't produce much pain.
Quite why that would keep di Maria out until early December is a bit of a mystery, but we'll defer to the experts on this one rather than imply that the Argentine is made out of glass or something. Anyway, if all goes to plan he'll be making his return for Barcelona's visit to the Santiago Bernebau on December 10th. Not important at all that he gets well soon, in other words...
For more on Angel di Maria's injury and all things Real Madrid, check out Managing Madrid.