Real Madrid announced on Monday morning that teenage attacker Franco Mastantuono has been diagnosed with a hernia that will leave him sidelined for an undefined period of time.
Only arriving at the Santiago Bernabéu in August after he turned 18, having played at the summer’s Club World Cup with former team River Plate, Mastantuono has quickly established himself as Xabi Alonso’s preferred starter on the right wing.
The young Argentine doesn’t often complete full matches, typically replaced at some point during the second half, but has been named in the lineup seven times out of 11 in La Liga alone, keeping the more senior Rodrygo locked in a backup role up to now.
But Mastantuono, who had earlier withdrawn from October international duty with his country, is now set for a period of time out of action. Real Madrid’s statement did not offer any estimate on his likely absence timeframe, other than medical staff will monitor his progress.
Athletes can usually recover faster from hernias than most normal people, but it will still require Mastantuono to rest and resume activities with caution.
This is the same issue which has plagued Barcelona’s 18-year-old gem Lamine Yamal in recent weeks, forcing the Spain international to miss five games in a six-match spell for Barcelona between September and October. There are concerns that Yamal may even be forced to undergo surgery on an issue which is still bothering him.
Real Madrid, for what it’s worth, are conveying a sense of “optimism” about Mastantuono’s injury, per . Ensuring that the condition, also known as pubalgia, is treated properly now is important, to avoid it becoming a persistent long-term problem.
