Valverde Diagnosed With Severe Ankle Injury After Madrid Derby

Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde has been diagnosed with severe trauma to his left ankle following a tackle in the club's derby defeat to Atletico Madrid, the Spanish club confirmed on September 20. The injury has cast doubt over his availability for Uruguay's upcoming international fixtures. The club's official medical update stated that Valverde sustained the injury during the 2-1 loss at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on September 20. Despite the knock from a challenge by Atletico's Lee Kangin, the Uruguayan international completed the full match. Real Madrid's medical services diagnosed the problem as severe trauma, and the club announced that further tests would be conducted in the coming hours to determine the full extent of the injury. The diagnosis immediately raised concerns for Uruguay's national team. Real Madrid stated that if follow-up tests confirm an ankle sprain, Valverde could miss his country's upcoming FIFA international window. Uruguay is scheduled to play friendlies against Japan, South Korea, and India during the break. The incident occurred in the first half of the derby, with the tackle from Lee Kangin going unpunished by the referee.