Robin Le Normand says he is ‘very grateful’ for the love and support he has received after suffering a traumatic brain injury in ’s clash with last weekend.
Angel Correa scored a last-gasp equaliser to rescue Atleti a point in Sunday’s hard-fought Madrid derby but Le Normand’s injury has somewhat overshadowed the result at the Metropolitano Stadium.
Le Normand clashed heads with Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni in the dying moments of the La Liga clash and the severity of the defender’s injury was uncertain when the final whistle was blown.
However, on Tuesday, Atleti confirmed that the 27-year-old had sustained a severe blow to his head, leaving him with a ‘traumatic brain injury’ and a subdural haematoma.
Le Normand had missed just one of Atleti’s league matches following a summer move from Real Sociedad but could play no part, as expected, as Diego Simeone’s side were thrashed 4-0 by Benfica in the Champions League last night.
‘Very grateful for all the love I’ve received in recent days [praying emoji, love heart emoji],’ Le Normand told his 300,000 followers on this afternoon.
‘I’m focused on recovery, to be back as soon as possible with the team.’
Atleti are yet to put a timeframe on Le Normand’s possible return and will take a cautious approach with the centre-back’s recovery and rehabilitation given the serious nature of the injury.
Le Normand had quickly settled into life at Atletico Madrid on the back of a £25m switch from Sociedad, where he played for six years.
Earlier this summer, Le Normand shone in Germany as Spain triumphed at Euro 2024, with the centre-back making six appearances across the tournament including the side’s defeat of England in the final.
Atleti travel to Le Normand’s former side, Sociedad, this weekend where they will look to return to winning ways on the back of their woeful loss in Lisbon this week.
Simeone’s men sit fourth in the Spanish top flight after eight games, winning four and drawing four, with Barcelona holding a three-point lead over Real Madrid at the top.
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