Real Madrid will reportedly be without both Eden Hazard and Marcelo when they face Barcelona in El Clasico later this month.
Things are going relatively well for the Spanish giants so far this season as they sit joint top of the La Liga table, while they’ve booked their spot in the knockout stage of the Champions League.
SEE MORE: Real Madrid star TROLLS Gareth Bale with hilarious Secret Santa gift
With five more games to go though before the winter break, Zinedine Zidane will hope to see his side pick up key victories to keep their momentum going as they head into 2020.
However, while they have Espanyol and Club Brugge to come in their next two games, Mundo Deportivo note that both Hazard and Marcelo could now both miss the games against Valencia and Barcelona which follow.
The Brazilian stalwart has picked up a muscle injury which will reportedly sideline him for three weeks, thus ruling him out of facing Barcelona on December 18, assuming that recovery timeline is accurate.
As for Hazard, he has been sidelined with an ankle problem that he picked up against Paris Saint-Germain last month, and it’s suggested that he will join Marcelo on the sidelines for the next few games including the showdown with rivals Barca.
Ferland Mendy and Gareth Bale are tipped to step in and fill those respective voids, and so Zidane will hope that they can do the job required to ensure that they don’t miss the presence of two key individuals in what could be a decisive clash in the La Liga title race.
While it’s still relatively early in the season and premature to suggest that defeat could be a major blow for the losing side, a win against a direct rival for the La Liga crown could certainly make a key difference come May if they’re still locked in a title battle.