Real Madrid to ramp up Milos Kerkez interest as Mendy suffers season-ending injury | OneFootball

Real Madrid defender Ferland Mendy has been ruled out for the rest of the season after picking up an injury in Saturday’s Copa del Rey final defeat to Barcelona, The Athletic reports.

The 29-year-old was named in the starting line-up but only lasted 11 minutes after suffering a “ruptured tendon in his right quadriceps muscle”.

Madrid later confirmed the severity of his injury. Not only is he out for the rest of the season, but Mendy will also miss this summer’s Club World Cup.

The Frenchman’s injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for Madrid.

Los Blancos are heading into a decisive run-in four points behind Barca in the race for the La Liga title with five games remaining.

Mendy has struggled with recurring injury problems since joining Madrid in 2019.

He returned from a nine-game lay-off to start in the Copa del Rey final before being withdrawn almost immediately.

The France international has featured 31 times this season, but his latest setback leaves Madrid light on defensive cover.

Fran Garcia is now the only natural left-back on Carlo Ancelotti’s roster.

He replaced Mendy in the final, but he doesn’t have what it takes to hold down the fort at left back in the Frenchman’s absence.

It doesn’t help that David Alaba is also struggling with an injury while Antonio Rudiger has been hit with a six-game ban for his disgraceful behaviour in Saturday’s Copa del Rey showpiece.

Madrid’s defensive turmoil could force them to loosen their purse strings this summer, and the first name on their shopping list is Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez.

The record Champions League winners are huge admirers of the Hungarian left-back.

That admiration is shared by a host of Premier League clubs also on his trail, but Madrid could turn his head if they apply pressure.

Bournemouth may be powerless to prevent Kerkez from leaving the Vitality Stadium this summer.

However, they’d demand three times the £15.5 million they paid to sign him from AZ Alkmaar two years ago.