Managing Madrid

The conservative treatment didn't work. Real Madrid's world-class striker Gonzalo Higuaín will have to undergo surgery in the next two days to correct a herneated disc in his back, a very painful injury that has already kept him out close to a month.

A couple of days ago José Mourinho fumed about having to lose Higuaín for the rest of the season because Real Madrid's doctors didn't understand the severity of the injury. In response to these criticisms, the club released a statement:

The conservative treatment undertaken during these past four weeks has benefited the players' biomechanics. Because of this, the work that we have realized will make for an easier surgery, a better result, and a reduction in the postoperative rehabilitation period.

All of this may be true; in fact, I'm sure it is true. The aggravating thing is that the doctors could have operated a month earlier--though the conservative treatment may make Gonzalo's post-op recuperation faster, that process will take place over the summer. My guess is that if they had operated earlier we may have been able to bring Higuaín back a month before the end of the season. But that's just a guess.

Stay tuned for an article on Madrid's tactics and options without the young Argentine striker.