Diego Godin Facing Another Spell on the Sidelines After Sustaining a Thigh Injury Against Getafe

Atletico Madrid captain Diego Godin is facing another spell on the sidelines, after the club confirmed on Monday that the defender suffered a thigh tear in the win over Getafe at the weekend. 

With Atleti leading by two goals at the break, there was some concern over the 32-year-old after he was replaced by Juanfran, but they were able to see the game through in their captain's absence and pick up a 2-0 victory thanks to strikes from Antoine Griezmann and Saul. 

The nature of the injury was confirmed by the club on their official website, as they say that a medical report indicates he has suffered an 'elongation in the abductor muscles of the right thigh.'

The statement reads: "On the morning of Monday, January 28, our captain has undergone an MRI at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra and the part offered by the medical services of the club indicates that he suffers an elongation in the abductor muscle of the right thigh and remains pending evolution."

It's not thought to be a recurrence of the similar injury that kept him out for around a month at the tail end of 2018, but there is no clarification as yet over the timeline for his return. 

It comes as a major blow for Atletico, who lead the chasing pack in pursuit of La Liga leaders Barcelona - five points from the Catalan side and five ahead of famous rivals Real Madrid, who occupy third place. 

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They face Real Betis this weekend, before a crucial Madrid derby a week later, for which they will be hoping against hope that Godin can make a return, although that looks very unlikely at this stage.