Real Madrid midfielder sidelined with ankle injury

Real Madrid are gearing up for the new season, with La Liga set to resume on August 13. Ahead of their opening league fixture against Alaves this Saturday, Los Blancos have been greeted with terrible news concerning the fitness of one of their key players.

The Spanish giants have confirmed that Dani Ceballos will be on the sidelines after sustaining an ankle injury while representing his nation at the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

The club made the announcement in an official statement that was posted on their website recently.

⚠️ Medical report: Dani Ceballos has been diagnosed with a complete tear of the anterior peroneal-talus ligament and peroneal-calcaneus in the ankle due to his injury with Spanish Olympic NT https://t.co/5VqMwl0GSo

— Real Madrid Info ³⁴ (@RMadridInfo) August 10, 2021

The statement read:

"Following tests carried out on our player Dani Ceballos by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a complete tear in his anterior talofibular and calcaneofibular ankle ligaments. His recovery will continue to be assessed."

Ceballos traveled with the Spanish team that participated in the Olympics this summer but his involvement was cut short after hurting his ankle in the 0-0 draw with Egypt.

La Roja made it to the final of the competition but lost 2-1 to Brazil and returned with the silver medal.

BRAZIL DEFEAT SPAIN TO WIN GOLD IN MEN’S OLYMPIC FOOTBALL 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/5t9u7q28SY

— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 7, 2021

Meanwhile, Real Madrid were reportedly looking to sell Ceballos this summer and a host of clubs were said to be interested in the player's services.

However, the chances of any transfer going through are almost non-existent given the player's recent injury set-back.

Ceballos in action for Spain during a clash with Egypt at the Olympics

When will Ceballos return to Real Madrid's squad?

Real Madrid are yet to provide a recovery timeframe for the Spaniard, with the medical team still assessing the extent of the injury.

As claimed by multiple sources, Ceballos will likely spend several weeks on the sidelines as injuries of such nature usually take a significant length of time to heal.

In the absence of the midfielder, Los Blancos will need to count on other players within the squad.

With players like Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Isco, Casemiro and Federico Valverde at the Santiago Bernabeu, Carlo Ancelotti won't be short of options to deploy at the center of the pitch.