In this photo, dated Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016, Real Madrid’s Mateo Kovacic, right, challenges Osasuna’s goalkeeper Nauzet Perez during the Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. Real Madrid issued medical reports Thursday Dec. 29, 2016, stating midfielder Mateo Kovacic will be sidelined because of injuries sustained during the recent Club World Cup, along with forward Lucas Vazquez. (Photo by FRANCISCO SECO/AP))
MADRID — Real Madrid says forward Lucas Vazquez and midfielder Mateo Kovacic will be sidelined for an undetermined period because of injuries sustained during the Club World Cup.
Madrid issued the medical reports on Thursday, 11 days after the team defeated Japanese side Kashima Antlers 4-2 in added time in the tournament final.
It says Vazquez has a muscle injury in his right leg, while Kovacic twisted a ligament in his left ankle.
Vazquez played 81 minutes of the Dec. 18th final. Kovacic played the closing minutes as a substitute.
Both players had earned a place in Zinedine Zidane’ starting 11, with Vazquez taking over from Gareth Bale after the Wales forward injured his right ankle in late November.
Madrid’s next match is at home to Sevilla in the first leg of their Copa del Rey round-of-16 tie on Jan. 4.