Zinedine Zidane worried by Real Madrid’s growing injury list

New left-back Ferland Mendy is the latest Real player to be ruled out after picking up a calf injury on the club’s pre-season tour

Zinedine Zidane has expressed concern over Real Madrid’s lengthening injury list as the new La Liga season approaches.

New left-back Ferland Mendy is the latest Real player to be ruled out after picking up a calf injury on the club’s pre-season tour of the United States.

Mendy joins Brahim Diaz and Marco Asensio – whose torn cruciate ligament is expected to keep him out for up to nine months – on the sidelines.

But Zidane would not comment on whether the mounting injury crisis meant he would seek further changes to his available personnel for the season ahead.

Zidane has continued to insist Gareth Bale is on his way out of the club despite the Welshman scoring against Arsenal in Maryland earlier this week.

He told Marca: “It worries me and above all it bothers me.

“We are preparing the players who are here, then we will return to Madrid.

“I don’t think about who is going to replace Marco. We are devastated with Marco’s injury and our squad is the one we have here.”

Real continue their tour on Saturday when they face city rivals Atletico in New Jersey.

PA