Real Madrid's walking wounded

Real Madrid will go into a crucial part of the league season with a host of injury and suspension concerns. Los Blancos may have already qualified for the Champions League knockout stages in second place but the race for the Liga title is in the balance going into a key fortnight before the short winter break. The crucial El Clásico clash between leaders Barcelona and second-placed Madrid is the highlight, with Zinedine Zidane expected to be without key players including Eden Hazard, Marcelo and Gareth Bale. Hazard was spotted on crutches at the Bernabéu during Madrid's 2-0 victory over Espanyol on Saturday, while Marcelo and Bale have also suffered injury set-backs that will keep them out of the trip to Catalonia. Lucas Vázquez also remains sidelined, giving Zidane a selection headache going into the key league matches against Valencia, Barcelona and Athletic Club respectively. Zidane also has concerns over Casemiro, who is one booking away from a league suspension.