Real Madrid's growing injury woes leave the defending Spanish champions vulnerable to a star-studded Barcelona squad.
Carlo Ancelotti's side has yet to be at full strength for more than a couple games at a time this season. Just when Real Madrid's biggest players, including Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé and Eduardo Camavinga all returned to the XI, more took their places on the sidelines.
The timing of the injuries is cruel for Los Blancos. The first El Clásico of the season kicks off on Oct. 26 and the stakes are higher than ever. The gap to Barcelona is just three points and Real Madrid can meet the Catalans atop the La Liga standings with a victory.
Defeating Hansi Flick's side is hard enough, but now Real Madrid must try to do so without key players across the pitch.
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Every Real Madrid Player Expected to Miss El Clasico
Real Madrid will be without Rodrygo, Courtois, Dani Carvajal and David Alaba for El Clásico. Both Rodrygo and Courtois picked up thigh injuries against Borussia Dortmund on Oct. 22 and are expected to miss the next three weeks for Los Blancos.
Andriy Lunin will start between the posts and have the difficult task of keeping Barcelona's terrorizing attack off the scoresheet. Expect Ancelotti to favor a 4-4-2, featuring the addition of Luka Modrić to the midfield, instead of starting a direct replacement for Rodrygo up top.
Carvajal's long-term knee injury will keep him sidelined for the remainder of the season, leaving a huge hole in Real Madrid's backline. Lucas Vázquez is now the team's starting right-back and his defensive shortcomings will be exploited by Barcelona on Saturday. Coming off a hat trick against Bayern Munich, Raphinha will certainly like his odds against the Spaniard.
Although David Alaba is making strides in his recovery from last season's ACL injury, the defender is still not ready to play. Aurélien Tchouaméni is the team's backup center-back.
The good news for Real Madrid is Brahim Díaz returned to the squad. The 25-year-old recovered from an adductor injury quicker than expected and is an option for Ancelotti should Real Madrid need a spark on the wing.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Every Real Madrid Player Expected to Miss El Clasico.