Atletico Madrid defender Nahuel Molina has faced a muscle tear and will be out of action for club as well as country for the next three weeks at least. This news was broken by Argentine outlet Mundo Albiceleste, who also confirmed the duration of his potential absence.
Nahuel Molina Injury: Extent & expected return
Molina last featured for Atletico Madrid in their narrow 1-0 win against Mallorca in LaLiga. He came on as a second-half substitute for Mario Hermoso and played nearly the entire second half. However, he picked up a knock just before the end of the game and was visibly in pain. He could not continue and was replaced by Stefan Savic.
Following the game, news emerged that Molina will miss around 20 days of action for club and country. This rules him out of Atleti’s next three league games for sure. They are due to face Celta Vigo at home (12/05), before a trip to face Getafe (16/05), and then against Osasuna at home (20.05). Should he recover as planned, he could be a part of the squad for Atleti’s final LaLiga game of the season against Real Sociedad (27/05).
However, there is also a possibility his injury is slightly worse than initially feared. In that case, Nahuel Molina will directly join up with the Argentina set-up ahead of Copa America 2024. So, as of now, his participation in the coveted tournament is in no danger.
The defender’s performances this season
Molina has been a mainstay in Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid side this season and has made 46 appearances across competitions for the Madrid-based club. He has chipped-in with two goals and five assists and has also been shown a straight red card on one occasion.
Molina has also made two appearances for Argentina during friendlies in the ongoing season. He played 17 minutes off the bench in his team’s 3-0 win against El Salvador, followed by an entire 90 minutes in La Albiceleste’s 3-1 win against Costa Rica.
Being a key member of the squad, he will look to regain full fitness before the Copa America 2024 rolls around.
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