Valverde faces ankle tests after Kang-in Lee tackle casts Uruguay window in doubt

Real Madrid confirmed on September 20 that Fede Valverde sustained severe trauma to his left ankle during the 2-1 derby defeat to Atletico Madrid at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, with further examinations required to establish the full extent of the damage.

The injury was caused by a challenge from Atletico’s Kang-in Lee that went unpunished by referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias. Despite the blow, Valverde remained on the pitch and completed the match, leaving the immediate picture one of uncertainty rather than a confirmed absence.

In an official statement, Real Madrid’s medical services said they had diagnosed Valverde with severe left-ankle trauma on the day of the game and that the midfielder would undergo additional tests in the coming hours. The club has not yet specified whether the injury constitutes a sprain, a ligament problem, or bruising that could clear quickly — that distinction is expected to emerge once the follow-up examinations are complete.

No return timetable has been provided. The most immediate concern flagged by the club relates to Valverde’s international commitments: should the tests confirm an ankle sprain, he could miss Uruguay’s upcoming FIFA international window entirely, though Real Madrid have framed that outcome as a possibility rather than a certainty.

The news adds to a difficult period for Los Blancos, who have been managing a series of squad absences in recent weeks. How significant Valverde’s latest setback proves to be will depend on what the coming hours of medical assessment reveal.