Real Madrid have announced that Portuguese defender Pepe has suffered a thigh injury that will keep him sidelined at least until the first week of official competition in La Liga.
The 32-year-old had to be replaced by Nacho Fernandez in the first minutes of the Audi Cup final against Bayern Munich after suffering muscle pain in his right leg.
Los Blancos manager Rafa Benitez had played down the seriousness of the issue after that game, but it now looks very unlikely that the Portugal international will be available for the start of Madrid’s La Liga campaign at Sporting Gijon on August 23.
Real Madrid published the following official statement in their website: “A medical examination on the player in the Universitario Sanitas La Moraleja hospital has shown that he has a muscle injury in his right leg. His progress will be closely monitored.”
With Pepe sidelined, Raphael Varane will most likely replace the Portuguese at centre-back, pairing with Sergio Ramos against Sporting.
