Football: Real defender Pepe has thigh injury – club

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Real Madrid defender Pepe has a thigh muscle
injury, the Spanish club said Saturday, raising
doubts that he will be fit enough in time for his
team’s first game of the season in two weeks.

The 32-year-old Portuguese international
underwent tests after he was substituted just 15
minutes into Real’s 1-0 loss against Bayern
Munich in a friendly on Wednesday due to an
apparent thigh muscle problem.

“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,” Real said
in a statement.

The club did not specify the expected time Pepe
will be on the sidelines but sports daily Marca said
it is unlikely he will be available for the start of
Real’s Liga campaign at newly-promoted
Sporting Gijon on August 23.
Real were already missing Cristiano Ronaldo
and Karim Benzema for the pre-season match
away to Bayern due to injuries.

Ronaldo is expected to recover from back pain in
time for the start of the season but a right thigh
injury has also left Benzema in doubt for the
club’s Spanish league opener.

Asked after the match against Bayern if
Benzema would be fit for the kick-off, Real
coach Rafa Benitez said: “I don’t know. We will
see how he recovers.”

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