Madrid, April 23 (IANS) Spanish football giant Real Madrid suffered a major setback ahead of the business end of the season, with midfielder Arda Guler and defender Eder Militao ruled out of the remainder of the domestic campaign due to muscle injuries.

Militao picked up his injury during Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Deportivo Alaves earlier this week, while Guler sustained his problem in training on Thursday ahead of their upcoming clash against Real Betis. According to a report by Xinhua, both players are unlikely to return before the end of the season due to the nature of their injuries.

In an official statement, the club confirmed that Guler has suffered a muscle injury in the biceps femoris of his right leg. “After the tests carried out today on our player Arda Guler by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a muscle injury in the biceps femoris of his right leg,” the statement read.

Shortly after, Real Madrid issued a separate update on Militao, stating that the Brazilian centre-back has sustained a similar injury, but in his left leg. “Following tests carried out today on our player Eder Militao by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a muscle injury in the biceps femoris of his left leg,” the club said.

While the club has not provided a specific timeline for their recovery, such injuries typically require several weeks of rehabilitation, effectively ruling both players out for the remainder of the La Liga season.

Despite the setback, there is some positive news for their respective national teams. Guler is expected to recover in time to represent Turkey at the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which will commence on June 11 and be played in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, while Militao is also likely to be fit enough to join Brazil for the global tournament.

–IANS

sds/bsk/