Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke has been ruled out for four weeks after straining a hamstring muscle.
The injury occurred in the opening minutes of his side’s 4-0 victory over Real Madrid on Saturday. Koke was attempting to get on the receiving end of a pass from Antoine Griezmann, but the midfielder pulled up lame shortly after accelerating to meet the ball.
Koke was examined by physios on the pitch before being substituted off in the ninth minute with the score still 0-0. His replacement Saul Niguez would go on to score a spectacular goal to give Atletico a 2-0 lead in the eighteenth minute. Saul would later assist his side’s third goal after he lofted a headed pass towards Griezmann, who emphatically slammed the ball into Real Madrid’s net for Atletico’s third goal.
As for Koke, the Spain international was further analyzed by doctors at the Fremap clinic on Monday where it was confirmed that he had suffered a strained hamstring and will be out of action for a month.
The confirmation of Koke’s absence will be a major blow for manager Diego Simeone as he prepares his side for upcoming league fixtures against Celta Vigo, Almeria and Sevilla. They also have to travel to Bayer Leverkusen for a Champions League Round of 16 away leg on February 25th.
Atletico’s midfield will be extremely shorthanded for this weekend’s contest at Celta Vigo with Saul also being ruled out due to a knee injury suffered during the buildup of Griezmann’s goal. Arda Turan and Raul Garcia will also miss Sunday’s league encounter after being suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
