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What’s the rumour?
Real Madrid have suffered an injury blow just hours ahead of the Clasico. Marca are reporting that Los Blancos will be without Jesús Vallejo as he failed to finish training on Friday and did not take the field on Saturday.
The Spanish publication claims that the centre-back has a new muscular problem in his right thigh. The 21-year-old is yet to feature for Madrid this season and is set to be out for some more time.
In case you didn’t know...
Julen Lopetegui's job hangs in the balance right now. The Spaniard has failed to impress at Bernabeu and reports suggest a loss at Camp Nou will be his last game in charge of Madrid.
Some reports suggest that Florentino Perez wanted to sack Lopetegui earlier this week but was stopped from doing so. The board wanted to go into the El Clasico with the same strategy and the same manager before making a big change.
The heart of the matter
Vallejo remains the only Real Madrid first team player without a single minute under his belt this season. The 21-year-old has not managed to remain fit and unless he gets fully fit, Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos will continue to be Los Blancos' first choice.
Moreover, should these injuries continue to be a part of his career, he might not last at Bernabeu for long. Real Madrid will sign other centre-backs as Ramos is 32 years old and they need a long-term replacement for him.
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What’s next?
Real Madrid face a tough task against Barcelona. With their forwards not scoring a lot and their defence leaking goals, it's going to be very difficult for them to get a point at Camp Nou.
Moreover, they are headed for El Clasico for the first time, in a really long time, without Cristiano Ronaldo – their main goal scorer for the last 7-8 years!
