Atlético mock Real Madrid's 'miracle' as Valverde returns just 17 days after grade-three sprain

Federico Valverde was named in Real Madrid’s squad for their La Liga fixture against Villarreal on Saturday, 17 days after the club announced he had suffered a grade-three ankle sprain — a timeline that prompted a pointed public response from city rivals Atlético Madrid.

Atlético posted a sarcastic message on their official social-media account that read: “Queremos felicitar al Real Madrid por seguir haciendo historia al demostrar que el 100% de la comunidad médica mundial estaba equivocada” — congratulating Madrid, with heavy irony, for proving the entire global medical community wrong. Marca reported the message on Friday 9 October, framing it as a continuation of the feud that has simmered since the September derby.

The injury and its timeline

Valverde was hurt during the Madrid derby at the Metropolitano on Sunday 20 September, a match Real Madrid lost 2-1. The challenge that caused the injury came from Kang-in Lee, and Madrid subsequently pushed for a direct red card for the tackle, adding an early layer of institutional tension to the episode.

Real Madrid initially described the problem as severe trauma to Valverde’s left ankle. After further tests, the club confirmed on Tuesday 22 September that he had sustained a grade-three sprain and that his recovery timeline would depend on his progress. His return to the squad came 17 days after that diagnosis — not 17 days after the derby itself — a distinction Madrid’s medical staff would likely consider relevant, though Atlético’s post made no such allowance.

Valverde completed Real Madrid’s final training session before the Villarreal game without difficulty and was available to the manager for the first fixture following the international break.

A rivalry that refuses to cool

Atlético’s social-media jab did not constitute a formal complaint, and neither club had lodged an official challenge over the medical assessment. The exchange was instead the latest in a series of public sparrings between the two clubs that had already extended well beyond the final whistle of the derby itself.

Valverde’s inclusion in the squad confirmed his availability for selection against Villarreal, though it gave no indication of how many minutes he might play. What it did provide, at least from Atlético’s perspective, was fresh ammunition in a dispute that has now stretched three weeks past the match that started it.