OFFICIAL: Toni Kroos injury report

Real Madrid have announced that midfielder Toni Kroos has picked up a sports hernia, formally called pubalgia.

This is a tricky injury and both the medical staff and Kroos himself will need to be very careful in the next few weeks so that the midfielder recovers properly.

Kroos' status for the first few games of the season is now questionable, given that it makes sense to take a cautious approach and let Kroos heal.

In the meantime, players like Fede Valverde, Martin Odegaard or Isco Alarcon will likely compete for Kroos' spot in the starting lineup. Odegaard and Isco have been training with the squad ever since the preseason started so they might be ahead of Valverde in the rotation right now until the Uruguayan midfielder improves his conditioning.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti and physical trainer Antonio Pintus will need to keep working on the players' physical condition so that most of the squad is able to play consistently throughout what's expected to be a very long season.