Real Madrid breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday as they edged into the quarter-finals of the Champions League after a dramatic penalty shootout with Atletico Madrid, but they have suffered a setback with an injury to Ferland Mendy.
Madrid progressed at the Metropolitano despite suffering a 1-o defeat in the second leg with Atletico, which saw the tie levelled up at 2-2 on aggregate. Carlo Ancelotti’s men prevailed 4-2 on penalties following a shootout that saw Julian Alavarez have an effort chalked off after VAR ruled he had kicked the ball twice.
Mendy was substituted in the 83rd minute of normal time after appearing to suffer an injury, with reports indicating he could be out for up to a month with a hamstring injury.
On Thursday, Madrid confirmed the nature of the problem for the France international, though they did not provide a timescale for his return.
Mendy medical report.
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) March 13, 2025
A short statement read: “Following tests carried out on Ferland Mendy today by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a hamstring injury in his left leg. His recovery will be assessed.”
Though Mendy’s potential absence is relatively well-timed with the international break coming up next week, a month-long lay-off would still see him miss several important fixtures.
In LaLiga, he will likely miss a tricky away game with fifth-placed Villarreal on Saturday, with his availability for home games with Leganes and Valencia also in jeopardy. Madrid are joint-top of LaLiga with Barcelona on 58 points, with Atletico a point behind.
A month on the sideline would also see him miss the second leg of Madrid’s Copa del Rey semi-final with Real Sociedad, which they lead 1-0, and the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Arsenal.
