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As if it wasn't enough that Real Madrid got a wee bit pasted by Barcelona over the weekend, we now have an official club report that Marcelo, the only left back on the team, has picked up an injury to his left adductor muscle.
Is this bad? Well, yeah. It doesn't matter if Marcelo misses one match or misses 20, he's the only natural at his position and his offensive contributions from the back are simply irreplacable. It's not just his crosses or dribbles into the box which this team heavily relies on but it's also his connection with Cristiano Ronaldo as the two have been a deadly duo on the left side for years. When Marcelo is out Ronaldo's game simply isn't the same and with his form already being shaky enough this season such an injury isn't bound to help.
The club hasn't released how long he'll be out for, so keep your fingers crossed. The one positive for Madrid fans to hold on to is that the schedule gets incredibly easier in the near future. Virtually every single game up to a January showdown versus Valencia is winnable with Villarreal being the only real obstacle on the docket, so this is an opportunity for the club to get on a decent roll and put this past weekend in the rearview mirror.
However, Marcelo being out for any extended period of time will hurt no matter who the opposition is. We just have to hope now that one of Nacho, Danilo or Dani Carvajal can step in and hold down the fort for this relatively soft stretch coming up.
