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Real Madrid prepare to take on Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League as they look to steal the top spot in their group from Borussia Monchengladbach. The Blancos completed a double over Internazionale to bring their European campaign back on track and should they manage to win both their remaining matches, they will end up as the leaders of the group.
Zinedine Zidane's men will look to put a rather embarrassing 2-1 loss at home to Alaves behind them and regain some momentum with a string of positive results. Ahead of their upcoming game, here, we take a look at some of the latest Real Madrid news.
Eden Hazard ruled out for three weeks
Real Madrid superstar Eden Hazard's turbulent stay in the Spanish capital sees another setback after the Belgian has been ruled out for a further three weeks after his lates injury. The 29-year-old had to be subbed off after picking up a knock against Alaves in their most recent fixture just under 30 minutes into the game.
Although Zidane said that he believes it to be a minor knock after the game, further scans have revealed that Hazard suffered a muscle injury in his right leg, due to which he could miss up to three weeks of action.
This could potentially see him miss out the Blancos' derby against Atletico Madrid, which is scheduled to be played in less tha two weeks from their game against Alaves.
Zinedine Zidane laments Real Madrid's lack of consistency
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has highlighted his side's lack of consistency and believes that it is becoming a concerning issue. The Blancos have endured a strange campaign so far, with some memorable wins against the likes of Barcelona and Inter Milan (twice), but they have already lost as many league games this year as they did in 38 games last season.
Speaking on their loss to Alaves at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano, Zidane expressed;
"I think that's the problem we are having at the moment. Consistency. That's why we have to try and improve. We've had a lot of injuries. We're not going to try to find excuses but that's the reality."
"Hopefully we can get players back for our next game and hopefully we can improve the dynamic in the squad overall because we have to change it. In three days we've played two completely different games."
He added,
"The difference between the Inter game and today is enormous. I don't really have the words to describe what’s happened but I know we're going to analyse the game today and think about changing things for our next game."
Real Madrid enquire about Barcelona target
Los Blancos have enquired about Barcelona target Darwin Nunez, as per reports from Portugal. The Uruguayan star has been in superb form this year with five goals and six assists in his opening 11 appearances for SL Benfica, and has been linked with the likes of Manchester City and the Blaugrana in the past.
Bought for €24m by the Portuguese giants, Nunez is the most expensive purchase in Benfica's history. Real Madrid are the latest elite European club to enter the fray as they look for a replacement for Luka Jovic, who is likely to depart from the club after his nightmare start to life at Real Madrid.
The Blancos' third-choice striker, Mariano Diaz, has also been deemed a dispensible player by coach Zidane as per reports, freeing up space for another striker to deputise for the ageing Karim Benzema.
