MADRID (XINHUA) - Real Madrid's injury problems got worse on Monday (Nov 9), with the confirmation that Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde will be out of action for at least a month with a broken bone in his lower shin.

The club website explained that the 22-year-old has "been diagnosed with a fracture in the posterior tibial bone in his right leg" and although the club did not give a recovery time, only stating that his "recovery will continue to be assessed", he is likely to be sidelined for at least a month.

Valverde has become a key player in midfield and if he is out for a month he will miss at least six vital matches for Zinedine Zidane's side. These include La Liga visits to Villarreal and Sevilla, as well as Champions League away games against Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk, which will probably decide their European future.

If Valverde's recovery takes more than a month, he will also miss the first Madrid derby of the season, when Real face Atletico on Dec 12.

Real already have a long list of absentees through injuries with Dani Carvajal, Alvaro Odriozola and Nacho Fernandez all out with various problems, while Eder Militao, Casemiro and Eden Hazard all missed Sunday's 4-1 away defeat by Valencia after testing positive for the coronavirus.