Real Madrid won El Clasico against their great rivals Barcelona, but as a result are traveling to face Liverpool in the Champions League with serious injury problems, note Diario AS. Lucas Vazquez came off after a heavy clash with Sergio Busquets, while Toni Kroos and Fede Valverde also were substituted with knocks. “We’re at the limit,” Zinedine Zidane said after the game.
Lucas Vazquez’s is the most worrying situation for Zidane. Madrid will today evaluate his fitness and determine whether the injury that forced him to withdraw in the 43rd minute was merely trauma or something internal and more serious, as well as whether he’ll be fit to face Liverpool.
Valverde has a slight issue with his adductor, and could hardly make it down the small flight of stairs that separates the stadium from the changing room tunnel. Kroos didn’t finish the game well, either, visibly limping after coming off at the same time as Valverde. All three of the players would be in line to start against Liverpool if they were fit, but Kroos is particularly important. The German is in superb form, the architect of much of Madrid’s good football in these past few weeks.
