News today that second-choice goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek has succumbed to injury is unlikely to give Real Madrid coach José Mourinho too many sleepless nights. But that the veteran Pole has joined a medical list that now extends to five members of the first team squad could yet worry the Portuguese boss.
As a reminder, the current players absent from training due to injury are Dudek, young attacking midfielder Sergio Canales, Argentine defensive pivot Fernando Gago, his countryman, striker Gonzalo Higuaín, and of course former AC Milan playmaker Kaká.
Of these, perhaps just two - arguably even one - can be called a significant loss for Mourinho. Kaká was - Clásico aside - not greatly missed by the coach recently, while Gonzalo Higuaín's absence has been mitigated somewhat by the recent return to form of French hitman Karim Benzema.
Yet it is the regularlity and amount of injuries that will concern the coach. Mourinho is not one for chopping and changing his personnel: tactically he may switch things around, but generally his squads operate as tight-knit united of regulars and backups. Frequently having to return to the drawing board to find fit players won't help.
This is before we even get into suspensions: Sergio Ramos was out last weekend due to sanction, and overall Madrid often must deal with such absences: Pepe has had five yellows and a red in La Liga so far, Sergio Ramos three and one, Carvalho five bookings, and even Sami Khedira the same number. For Barcelona only one players - Gerard Piqué - even comes close.
Overall, then, it's a worrying time for the boss, who will be wondering what he can do to keep the injury and suspension worries under control - something that will be vastly important come February and the resumption of the Champions League.
In better news for the Blancos, though, Cristiano Ronaldo has completely overcome the ankle knock that saw him almost miss Saturday's win over Valencia: as we saw midweek he's fit and eager to line up without problems at Zaragoza on Saturday night.
