18 out of 21 field players have already passed through the infirmary. Only Nacho Fernández, Mariano, and Marco Asensio remain unharmed
ANALYSIS
Definitely, Real Madrid is not having any luck this year when it comes to injuries. Since the beginning of the season, they have been suffering a constant plague of injuries, and it seems like there is no respite. All the field players have been injured except for only three, and in the past week, three new players have had to leave the field: Dani Carvajal, Marcelo, and Luka Modric. The first two are out of the game for at least a month. In the case of the Brazilian and the Croatian, there are some voices in the Madrid gossip that called out Zinedine Zidane for giving them more rest. However, unlike in previous occasions, there is no consensus on the main reason for all these continuous injuries.
Just over a year ago, all the focus was on the Medical Department for glaring faults in diagnoses and recovery processes, as revealed by Goal. However, this time it is not the case, but rather the causes are divided between a mixture of bad luck, circumstantial traumatic injuries, accumulation of matches including the trip to Japan, genetic predisposition of some players to injuries, and even suspicions within the club about the appearance of stress due to championship demands.
And the truth is that there are several cases that perfectly exemplify Real Madrid's current bad luck with injuries. For example, Keylor Navas and Cristiano Ronaldo were already injured when the season started (the Costa Rican underwent surgery in the summer for a previous ailment). Álvaro Morata was injured due to a misdiagnosis by the doctors of the Spanish Federation. Casemiro suffered a fissure in his fibula after a fortuitous collision (against Espanyol). James Rodríguez aggravated some discomfort during warm-up. Gareth Bale had to undergo surgery after a tackle (against Sporting Lisbon). Toni Kroos fractured a toe in a match and didn't realize until a day later. Even players who are not prone to injuries like Lucas Vázquez, Isco Alarcón, or Mateo Kovacic - in addition to Ronaldo, Casemiro, or Kroos - have already had to go through the infirmary this season.
With that being said, as we said before, only three field players have been spared from injuries this season: Nacho Fernández, Mariano Díaz, and Marco Asensio. Only these three field players out of the 21 on the squad. A minimum representation. "The Immortals," to use a cinematic simile. And how do they manage to avoid injuries?
In the case of Nacho Fernández, it has been a maxim throughout his career. It's not that he gets injured very little, but rather that he never gets injured. Since he was in the Infant category, to be more precise. In an interview with Marca, he confessed that as a diabetic, he takes care of himself "three times more" than normal. This results in meticulous physical preparation as well as conscientious professionalism. Due to so much control over his diet, rest, and preparation, he has become a rarity not only within Real Madrid but in all elite football.
In the case of Mariano Díaz, according to his entourage, he takes very good care of himself and is a hard worker, but he also has privileged genetics. This not only means that he has not had any injuries this year, but also that he has not had any serious injuries in his career. He did have some circumstantial ones in the recent past, but they kept him out for only a week or two. Nothing important. And with Marco Asensio, something similar happens. Sources close to the player assure Goal that he has never been a player who gets injured a lot in his career, largely because he takes great care of his rest and preparation not only on the field but above all off it. And yet, Asensio himself was almost injured by an accidental stomp on the hand just a week ago.
That is the misfortune of Real Madrid this season because for one reason or another, almost all the players are passing through the infirmary. Even those who take the most care of themselves and have specific preparations. Hence, only three intact players remain with half a season still ahead. An unprecedented and worrying balance.