Real Madrid fortune continues to wear thin as fourth defender goes down with injury | OneFootball

Real Madrid continue to run at a rate of nearly an injury per game this season, and once again it has hit their defence. Right-back Lucas Vazquez is set to be laid low for the next three weeks, after suffering a muscle strain in training in the back of his thigh.

Vazquez, 32, had been deputising well during December for Dani Carvajal following his muscle strain, even coming up with a crucial goal to win them all three points against Alaves just before Christmas. He will now miss around three weeks, and is due to return from injury against Las Palmas. Real Madrid travel to Gran Canaria on the 28th of January.

He is guaranteed to miss their match against Arandina in the Copa del Rey tomorrow, their Supercup clash against Atletico Madrid in Saudi Arabia, and any potential final on the 14th if Los Blancos do win the derby. On their return, Almeria visit the Santiago Bernabeu a week before the Las Palmas game.

If there is a small silver lining amongst their nightmarish injury issues this season, it is that Carvajal has returned to fitness already. He would likely have played one or both Supercup matches anyway, and Carlo Ancelotti is unlikely to see his side stretch against Almeria. It does leave the Italian with just four fit defenders in Carvajal, Feran Garcia, Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez. Ferland Mendy is the only one due to recover in the near future.