Real Madrid sweating on key defender's fitness ahead of Arsenal Champions League quarter-final | OneFootball

Real Madrid left-back Ferland Mendy faces a race against time to be fit for his side's Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal next month.

The enterprising full-back was forced off with seven minutes of normal time remaining in Real's European bout against Atletico Madrid in midweek clutching his hamstring. Mendy required on-pitch treatment before awkwardly limping off.

Carlo Ancelotti's defending champions eventually found a way past their city rivals - in highly controversial circumstances - to book a place in the quarter-finals against Arsenal. However, Mendy's involvement in the first leg of that tie is clouded in doubt.

Spanish publication MARCA revealed that Mendy will be sidelined for "three to four weeks" with a hamstring issue. If the French defender veers towards the longer end of this projected timeline, he could very well sit out Madrid's trip to Arsenal's Emirates Stadium on 8 April.

Ferland Mendy injured himself against Atletico Madrid / Quality Sport Images/GettyImages

The second leg of the quarter-final will be staged at Real's Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on 16 April, a fixture Mendy should almost certainly be available for. Yet, Ancelotti has rarely been forced to be without his first-choice full-back in European competition.

Mendy has started 11 of Madrid's 12 Champions League games this term, a tally only the undroppable Federico Valverde can better. In the one European game which the 29-year-old sat out, Fran Garcia filled in.

The Spanish terrier has regularly been rotated with Mendy in La Liga, but Ancelotti has tended to trust the more experienced defender on the continental stage. The Italian manager has never been slow to praise Mendy, who has received his fair share of critics during his Madrid career. At the end of last season, Ancelotti hailed him as "the best left-back in the world at a defensive level".

Even the enamoured head coach has conceded that Mendy could work on his attacking contributions - Real Madrid's backup goalkeeper Andriy Lunin can match his outfield teammate for La Liga assists this season (one). Nevertheless, the accomplished defender will be sorely missed against Arsenal if he cannot overcome this latest fitness setback.