Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said he does not blame Spain for captain Sergio Ramos’s latest injury ahead of the season’s run-in.
Central defender Ramos picked up a calf injury while doing warm-down exercises with Spain after their 3-1 victory over Kosovo on Wednesday. He came on as an 86th-minute substitute in the World Cup qualifier.
The 35-year-old looks set to be absent for both legs of the upcoming Champions League quarter-final meeting with Liverpool, as well as next Saturday’s Clasico against Barcelona
Local media reported Ramos will miss the next month as Real seek to defend their La Liga crown and claw back six points on league leaders Atletico Madrid.
Zidane, however, was his usual sanguine self when asked about the blow.
“We always want Sergio to be fit and available, but now we just have to focus on the players who we’ve got,” Zidane told a news conference ahead of Saturday’s visit of 18th-placed Eibar.
“These things happen in football, the part of the game we don’t like. But things happen and you just have to accept them. We want him to recover and be back as soon as possible. We know what a player and captain he is.
“I’d obviously like to have all my players fit, but that’s not the case. We’ve got 10 games to go in La Liga and we need to focus.”
There was better news for Zidane with the sight of Toni Kroos and Eden Hazard returning to training, however, the Frenchman insisted they will not be rushed back into action after muscle problems.
“There’s a lot of games coming thick and fast and we won’t do anything stupid. We’ll see how to manage it.
“We don’t have a plan with Hazard but we won’t be pushing him.
“We want to go little by little. If that’s three days’ time, then great, but if it’s 10 days then so be it. We’re happy he’s recovering.”