Baby unresponsive at day care may have died from bacterial infection,… — and more

A baby who died after being found unresponsive at a Sydney day care may have had a bacterial infection, an inquest has heard.

Real Madrid have been hit with another injury setback at a crucial stage of the season, and this time it concerns Dani Ceballos.

Yesterday, we confirmed that there is a new injury at Real Madrid, with Dani Ceballos diagnosed with a muscle injury in the soleus of his right leg.

The timing could not have been worse for the Spanish midfielder, as Ceballos had started to play a more active role in the rotation. 

Now, however, he faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Ceballos could be out for about seven weeks, which is a serious setback for the player who will be sidelined until the end of next April.

For Real Madrid, this is another problem to manage in a midfield that is already stretched. 

Jude Bellingham is still recovering and is not expected back until April, leaving Alvaro Arbeloa with limited options during a demanding period of fixtures.

Unexpected opportunity

But football always creates opportunities when least expected. While this is indeed a blow for Real Madrid, it is often the case in football that one man’s pain is another man’s pleasure.

Thiago Pitarch could play a strong role. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

And this time, that opportunity may belong to Thiago Pitarch. The young Castilla midfielder made a strong impression recently. 

His debut with the first team was one of the highlights of the Benfica-Real Madrid match. 

Despite the pressure of the occasion, he looked composed and confident, showing personality in possession and willingness to compete physically, and now, circumstances could work in his favour. 

As such, the midfielder could now be facing his great opportunity to accumulate more minutes with the first team due to the injuries of Bellingham, who will not return until April, and Ceballos, who will also be out for approximately a month.

Arbeloa’s approach also plays a key role here, as the Real Madrid coach has shown that he is not afraid to trust academy players when needed. 

All of this, coupled with Arbeloa’s apparent willingness to use youth academy players, makes Pitarch the top choice to refresh the midfield if he opts for the quartet of Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Arda Guler, and Federico Valverde.

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