The injury curse that has dogged Real Madrid's defensive ranks shows no sign of abating, as French fullback Ferland Mendy has been scheduled for a fre...
The injury curse that has dogged Real Madrid's defensive ranks shows no sign of abating, as French fullback Ferland Mendy has been scheduled for a fresh surgical procedure following the club's hard fought victory over Espanyol. According to exclusive sources gathered by GoalZaza, the 29 year old France international, who laboured to regain full fitness under Carlo Ancelotti's guidance, has found himself once again on the operating table after another troubling setback. Mendy, a stalwart of the Madrid rearguard when fully fit, has been in and out of the side over the past two campaigns, missing substantial chunks of playing time due to recurring physical issues. The powers that be at the Bernabeu have confirmed that the defender will go under the knife to address the nagging problem, making him the second Real Madrid defender to require such intervention after the Espanyol encounter. In the scheme of things, this development is a significant blow to Ancelotti's plans, as the Italian tactician had begun to rely heavily on Mendy's pace and positional discipline during the recent run of matches. At the end of the day, the injury list at the Spanish capital continues to swell, and the club's medical team is now under intense scrutiny. The lion's share of the blame, however, falls on the gruelling schedule that has left many of Europe's finest players nursing knocks. For Mendy, whose career at the highest level has been punctuated by these frustrating interruptions, the road to recovery begins once more from the surgeon's bedside rather than the training pitch. Back home in Nigeria, the news has filtered into the viewing centres across Lagos and Abuja, where fans of the Spanish giants were already nursing a headache from the earlier injury to another defender. At spots like the popular Arena in Surulere and the bustling viewing hub in Wuse, patrons shook their heads in collective dismay, muttering that Madrid's defence is now like a leaking roof before the rainy season. One elderly supporter, clad in the famous white jersey, was overheard telling his companions that if the club does not reinforce in the January window, the whole season could slip through their fingers like sand. The general mood was one of cautious hope, but deep down, the faithful know that no amount of tactical genius can replace a full squad of fit and available warriors on the pitch.
