Real Madrid in crisis: Fede Valverde suffers serious injury, gap to Barcelona widens to 6 points

Real Madrid have suffered a fresh blow after their capital derby defeat to Atletico Madrid, with the club postponing further medical tests on midfielder Fede Valverde due to continued significant swelling in his left ankle. According to Cope radio, Real Madrid's medical staff would rather wait for the swelling to subside before carrying out further examinations to determine the nature of the Uruguayan's injury and how long he could be sidelined. Valverde picked up the injury in the closing minutes of the first half, clashing with Kang-in Lee. The incident enraged Real Madrid's players, who demanded a red card for the Atletico man. The referee waved away their appeals. An official Real Madrid statement on Sunday addressed the midfielder's condition, diagnosing a serious injury to his left ankle sustained during the match, with further examinations scheduled for the coming hours. The timing could hardly be worse, as Los Blancos have just taken a harsh beating from Atletico, widening the gap to leaders Barcelona to six points in La Liga. Now Real Madrid must wait on those upcoming results to learn Valverde's fate, amid fears he could miss a number of important matches as he is a key element in their lineup.