--- title: "Valverde out for at least six weeks: serious ankle injury in the Madrid derby" description: "Real Madrid captain Federico Valverde suffered a third-degree left ankle sprain after a tackle by Lee Kang-in in the Madrid derby. The midfielder will miss at least three weeks, and by pessimistic estimates more than six. Real Madrid lost to Atletico 1-2." date: 2026-09-23T05:20:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/valverde-serious-ankle-injury-madrid-derby-en tags: [valverde, real-madrid, atletico-madrid, injury, la-liga, uruguay, lee-kang-in] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Valverde out for at least six weeks: serious ankle injury in the Madrid derby ![Fede Valverde in Real Madrid kit during the Madrid derby where he suffered an ankle injury](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/23/valverde-serious-ankle-injury-madrid-derby/valverde-serious-ankle-injury-madrid-derby-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Valverde suffered a third-degree left ankle sprain after a tackle by Lee Kang-in in the derby against Atletico - Real Madrid lost to Atletico 1-2; the captain's recovery timeline is 3 to 6+ weeks - Valverde will miss Uruguay's friendly matches against Japan (24.09) and South Korea (28.09) - The Spanish arbiters' committee believes Lee Kang-in should have been sent off for the tackle - Sources conflict: in one text Valverde played through to the end, in another he received a red card and a suspension Real Madrid midfielder and team captain Federico Valverde suffered a serious left ankle injury during the La Liga match against Atletico Madrid. According to official club sources, the Uruguayan has been diagnosed with a third-degree sprain of his left ankle. The injury was sustained after a hard tackle by Atletico midfielder Lee Kang-in shortly before halftime. Despite the injury, Valverde managed to play through to the final whistle, but Real Madrid ultimately lost the match 1-2. ### Match progression and derby result The Madrid derby ended in a 2-1 victory for Atletico Madrid. For the winners, Alejandro Grimaldo scored from a penalty and Jonathan David added another. The only goal for Real Madrid was scored by Antonio Rudiger. For Real Madrid, the defeat in the head-to-head against their main city rivals means not only the loss of three points but also a squad depletion ahead of a congested fixture schedule. ### Diagnosis and recovery timeline Immediately after the match, the Madrid club announced a "serious left ankle injury" and the need for additional examinations. Later, Real Madrid clarified the diagnosis: a third-degree sprain of the left ankle. The club has not yet specified the exact timeline for the captain's absence. According to L'Equipe, Spanish sources are considering an optimistic scenario in which Valverde could return to fitness in about three weeks. However, the same publication emphasizes that injuries of this nature typically require more than six weeks of recovery. Thus, the midfielder's actual time out could range from three to eight or more weeks depending on the progress of rehabilitation. ### Contradictory data The provided sources record a significant discrepancy in the details of the incident involving Valverde. The main text reports that, despite the injury, the Uruguayan "was able to continue the match and played through to the final whistle". Meanwhile, the Sport-Express source (source_id 2) claims that Valverde was suspended for one La Liga match precisely for a red card in the derby against Atletico. These two versions are mutually exclusive: if the player had received a red card, he could not have remained on the pitch until the end of the match. At the time of publication, the XAB.info editorial team does not have official confirmation from La Liga or the clubs on this matter. Presumably, the information about the sending-off and subsequent suspension emerged after the initial injury report or refers to a separate incident not described in the base text. Readers are advised to rely on the official statements of Real Madrid and Atletico, as well as on the decisions of the Spanish Technical Arbitration Committee. ### Refereeing controversy and the arbiters' stance Lee Kang-in's foul on Valverde became one of the most discussed episodes of the derby. According to L'Equipe, the Spanish Technical Arbitration Committee (CTA) believes that the Korean midfielder should have been sent off for that tackle. This statement only amplifies the resonance around the incident and raises the question of the refereeing standard in key matches of the Spanish championship. If the version about Valverde's sending-off (source_id 2) is confirmed, it will add yet another line of discussion about the fairness of card distribution in the match. ### Impact on the Uruguay national team Due to the injury, Valverde will not be able to help the Uruguay national team during the upcoming international window. The team will play two friendly matches: on September 24, 2026, against Japan, and on September 28, against South Korea. For the Uruguayan side, the loss of the Real Madrid captain ahead of the friendlies means a reshuffle of the central midfield zone. Valverde, who is one of the key players both at club and international level, will miss at least one, and by more pessimistic estimates two to three, international windows. Additional examinations and the MRI results, which, according to the club, are still pending, may adjust both the recovery timeline and the rehabilitation protocol. Real Madrid promises to provide updated information on the captain's condition after the medical examination is completed. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Real Madrid lost one of its key players: the footballer suffered a serious injury](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/real-vtrativ-odnogo-klyuchovih-gravtsiv-futbolist-1790140532.html) - Подтверждает факт серьёзной травмы Вальверде в дерби, диагноз растяжения третьей степени, поражение 1:2, пропуск сборочного окна Уругвая. Совпадает с базовым текстом. - [Valverde suspended for one La Liga match for a red card in the derby against Atletico](https://www.sport-express.ru/football/spain/news/federiko-valverde-diskvalificirovan-na-odin-match-la-ligi-za-udalenie-v-derbi-s-atletiko-2410180/?mob) - Сообщает об удалении Вальверде и дисквалификации на 1 матч. Прямое противоречие с базовым текстом, где хавбек доиграл матч до финального свистка. Требует верификации по протоколу матча. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What diagnosis was given to Federico Valverde? **A:** Real Madrid officially confirmed a third-degree sprain of the left ankle. The injury was sustained after a tackle by Lee Kang-in in the match against Atletico. ### Q: How long will Valverde be out? **A:** The club has not given an exact timeline. According to L'Equipe, the optimistic scenario is about three weeks, however such injuries typically require more than six weeks of recovery. ### Q: Will Valverde play for Uruguay in September? **A:** No. Due to the injury he will not help Uruguay in the friendly matches against Japan (September 24) and South Korea (September 28, 2026). ### Q: Who scored in the Atletico vs. Real Madrid match? **A:** For Atletico, Alejandro Grimaldo (penalty) and Jonathan David scored. For Real Madrid, Antonio Rudiger scored. The final score was 2-1 in favor of Atletico. ### Q: Was Valverde sent off in this match? **A:** The base text reports that Valverde played through to the end of the match. However, the Sport-Express source reports his sending-off and a one-match suspension. At the time of publication this discrepancy has not been officially confirmed — see the 'Contradictory data' section of the article.