Real Madrid is a club that has had to deal with injury problems throughout the years – in fact it is something of a miracle that these issues have not had a major impact on their results on the pitch and they have enjoyed continued success at the highest level – look at last season as a prime example.
The start of the season saw Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militão suffer long-term injuries, two regulars for Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid. The same happened to another key Real Madrid player, David Alaba, in the middle of the season, and in the process, he also suffered some short- and medium-term fitness issues.
And yet at the end of the season Real Madrid won the Champions League and La Liga double, an incredible achievement, especially considering the circumstances at the time, and one that perhaps doesn’t get the recognition or acclaim it deserves because of the club’s history of unrelenting success.
However, Real Madrid should also be keeping an eye on their never-ending injury problems, with one player already appearing to have fitness issues despite only just entering pre-season.
As Mario Cortegana tweeted, Jesús Vallejo has been suffering from a muscle problem since last week, he did not complete the last two sessions with the pre-trip group and had to stop training, although he arrived in Chicago today.
Of course, Vallejo spent last season on loan at Granada and hasn’t really seen much playing time at the Santiago Bernabeu, but with Nacho Fernandez leaving the club this summer and Real Madrid yet to sign a replacement at centre-back, the 27-year-old could play a role in the team.
It remains to be seen how things will play out, but fitness issues at the start of preseason are not what Vallejo was hoping for.
