Iker Casillas injury: Real Madrid goalkeeper breaks bone in hand

López came up through the Madrid youth system playing for both Real Madrid B and C from 2000 to 2005. He joined the senior team in 2005, making two appearance over two seasons, spending most of that time as a backup to Casillas. He left Madrid in 2007 for Villarreal where he became one of the top goalkeepers in La Liga during five seasons with El Submarino Amarillo.

After Villarreal’s relegation, López joined Sevilla in the summer of 2012He has made eight appearances for Los Rojiblancos, battling for time with club captain Andres Palop.

A statement from the club said: “After completing the first X-ray tests at the Hospital Sanitas La Moraleja it has been confirmed that the player Iker Casillas suffered a fracture at the base of his first metacarpal of his left hand.”

Alfonso del Corral, Madrid’s former head of medical services, spoke to Marca and suggested that Casillas would miss around two months of action: “Less than two months is difficult. A football goalkeeper must be able to fall on his hand and face shots at more than 100 kilometres per hour. He must let his hands strengthen without any type of risk.”

The injury occurred during a scramble in the Madrid box when Álvaro Arbeloa accidentally kicked Casillas hand or wrist as he tried to clear the ball from danger. Casillas went down immediately, clearly in pain, and the team physio’s raced on the pitch to check on the health of the keeper.

After several minutes of examination of his hand and wrist by the physio, Casillas shook his head and walked off the pitch in frustration. Antonio Adan entered the match in his place.