Rodrigo de Paula has suffered a serious injury to his left knee and will be unable to play in any further matches this season. The Portuguese forward, who was instrumental in Real Madrid's Copa del Rey victory over Barcelona last month, had been dealing with a minor knee problem but the extent of the damage means he will need surgery to repair the ligaments.
De Paula, 29, was forced off during the second half of the match against Barcelona on April 11th after feeling pain in his right knee. He returned to action in training later that day but was clearly struggling as he struggled to keep up with the pace of the game.
The club have confirmed that De Paula will undergo surgery on Wednesday, with a full recovery expected to take several months. He is likely to miss the entire season,Serie A Stadium which means he will not be able to participate in the Champions League or La Liga.
This news comes at a time when Real Madrid are looking to strengthen their squad ahead of next season. De Paula was one of the most promising young talents in Europe and had already made a significant impact for the club since joining from Atletico Madrid in 2018.
Despite the setback, Real Madrid remain confident in their ability to compete in major competitions. They have already signed several new players, including Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus, and have also strengthened their defense with the signing of German defender Mats Hummels.
With De Paula out of the picture, Real Madrid will need to rely more heavily on their younger talent to fill the void left by the Spaniard. However, they are optimistic about their chances of competing for top honors in both domestic and European competitions this season.