Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos is set to be sidelined for up to two months after sustaining a left hamstring injury.
During additional time of Madrid’s 1-0 win over Real Sociedad in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final on Wednesday, Ceballos went down injured after dueling for the ball with winger Takefusa Kubo.
Ceballos looked visibly emotional as he left the pitch, while Madrid played the final stages of the game with 10 players, having already made five substitutions.
The club confirmed in a statement on Thursday that Ceballos has been “diagnosed with an injury to the semimembranosus muscle with involvement of the tendon in his left leg.”
Alongside several La Liga fixtures, Ceballos is set to miss both legs of Madrid’s Champions League round of 16 clash against rivals Atletico Madrid.
The 28-year-old missed seven games earlier in the season with a calf strain.
Muy triste por no poder ayudar a mi equipo en este tramo tan importante de la temporada. Y muy triste por tener que parar en el que sentía que era mi mejor momento…
Pero el fútbol es así, no siempre es fácil, y mucho menos justo. Así que toca afrontarlo con fuerzas, con ganas… pic.twitter.com/kkA4B4Ksv9
— Daniel Ceballos (@DaniCeballos46) February 27, 2025
Ceballos has been a regular in Carlo Ancelotti’s side this season, playing 30 games and starting 16. He has scored twice and provided five assists in all competitions.
The 13-time Spain international joins defenders Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao on the sidelines, who are both out with long-term anterior cruciate ligament injuries.
Ceballos joined Real Madrid in 2017 from Real Betis and has made 178 appearances for the club. He has enjoyed sustained success in the Spanish capital, winning La Liga in 2022 and 2024 and lifting the Champions League trophy in 2018, 2022 and 2024.
The midfielder joined Premier League side Arsenal on loan for the 2019-20 season, helping the club win the FA Cup, and remained on loan there for the following season before returning to Madrid in 2021. In total, he made 77 appearances for Arsenal.
