Real Madrid 'hacker' causes alarm in Spain with Rodrygo injury claim

By Sports Desk March 16, 2021

Real Madrid alarmed supporters with a medical bulletin declaring Rodrygo was injured again on Tuesday - before a hacker was blamed for publishing the false information.

Brazilian forward Rodrygo recently returned from a hamstring problem and has made three appearances in March.

Just hours before Madrid's crucial Champions League clash with Atalanta on Tuesday, Madrid's website carried a statement that said: "After the tests carried out on our player Rodrygo by the Real Madrid medical services, he was diagnosed with a muscle injury affecting the tendon in the right biceps femoris."

However, that news of the injury recurrence was soon pulled down and replaced by a message stating: "We're sorry... but we have been unable to find the page you requested."

The surprising initial announcement, issued in the way Madrid typically declare injury updates, caught the eye of Spain's main sports news outlets.

There was no official clarification from Madrid on how the news came to be announced; however, Marca and AS cited club sources claiming that Madrid's Twitter account and website had been hacked.

Speaking on Monday, Zinedine Zidane enthused about Rodrygo, saying: "He's a player who has adapted well to our league. He's one for the present and the future and he's improving a lot.

"We're happy with him and we know the quality he has, especially with the ball. We have to let him continue with his normal development, but we're very happy with him."

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