Real Madrid suffered a blow that could affect it negatively in the upcoming matches of the Spanish League, while Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola praised him and described him as the Champions League king before their upcoming meeting.
Real Madrid defender Marcelo will likely be absent until the end of the season after his thigh injury, as the club confirmed in a statement on Friday that the Brazilian player was injured without specifying a date for his return, although the Spanish newspaper Marca said that Marcelo will be absent for three weeks.
The report added that Marcelo, 32, will miss the last four games of Real Madrid in the league against Alaves on Friday, Granada, Villarreal and Leganes, but he will return in time for the second leg of the Champions League round six match against Manchester City on August 7.
Real Madrid, seeking to crown their first La Liga title since 2017, is one point ahead of Barcelona and can widen the gap to four points if it beats its struggling Alavis.
UEFA Champions League king
On the other hand, Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola called on his team on Friday not to contemplate a possible confrontation in the Champions League quarter-final against Juventus because losing focus against Real Madrid in the return leg of the sixteen could cost him to leave the tournament.
City beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the first leg, and the return match will be played at Etihad Stadium, and Cristiano Ronaldo's teammates may face the quarter-finals if the two teams succeed in advancing to this role.
The Italian team is 1-0 behind in the first leg against Olympique Lyon in France.
Guardiola told reporters before facing the Premier League Saturday against Brighton, "There is no one in this place who knows Real Madrid more than me. It is the team that dominates the Champions League titles, and we must be in full focus against it."
"We are thinking about the Real match. If we think about the next match, the king of this tournament will overthrow us."