MADRID (AP) – Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos is expected to be offside for his first Champions League match against a Shakhtar Donetsk exhausted by the coronavirus.
Ramos, who suffers a left knee injury and did not train with the team on Tuesday, injured his knee on Saturday in the first part of the 1-0 home defeat to Cadiz in the Spanish league and was substituted in the partial.
“We don’t need to take any chances,” Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said Tuesday, a day before the team hosted Shakhtar. “He couldn’t exercise normally. “
Three days after facing Shakhtar, Real Madrid have their match of the season to date: the classic against Barcelona at Camp Nou on Saturday.
Ramos has been the key for Madrid recently, in defence and attack, one of the team’s most sensitive goalscorers after the resumption of the league last season, helping to bring Madrid to its first spanish league name in 3 years. Suspended from the Champions League match against Manchester City last season when Madrid were eliminated in the 16-game circular.
Zidane is not yet going to rely on Eden Hazard for a persistent muscle injury, the striker has not yet made his debut for Madrid.
“His injury was worse than expected,” Zidane said, “we hope he will be back soon and can play with us all season. “
Shakhtar was in Spain without several players who were not fully compatible after taking over the coVID-19 control results. Coach Luus Castro said several players had not arrived in Madrid.
“Of course (the absence of Ramos) can, but we can’t really compare,” Castro told Spanish newspaper Marca. “We had about ten players who couldn’t even play 20 minutes. We played our last game with seven players under 20 years.
The fit will take place at the 6,000-seat Alfredo Di Stéfano stadium in Madrid’s educational center, as renovations of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium continue, as well as fans are not able to participate in fites due to the pandemic.
Madrid, a 13-time Champions League champion, failed to make it in the last two finals of the last two seasons.
The others in Group B are Inter Milan and Borussia Monchengladbach, which are measured in Italy on Wednesday.
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