Real Madrid suffered a major blow during Saturday's shock 1-0 defeat to Espanyol, with Antonio Rudiger being forced off in the first half of the La Liga contest with a suspected muscular problem.
Rudiger limped off the field in just the 15th minute of the match, and initial signs are pointing towards a hamstring issue for the Germany international, with head coach Carlo Ancelotti providing an update after his side's narrow defeat.
"He's had a muscle injury, they'll have to assess it. We know what we have to do, we've thought about it and we've talked about it," Ancelotti told reporters during his post-match press conference.
Real Madrid will face Leganes in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night, before tackling Atletico Madrid in La Liga next weekend.
Los Blancos will then head to Manchester City for the first leg of their Champions League playoff on February 11, before the return fixture takes place on February 19, four days after a La Liga game with Osasuna.
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Rudiger limped off in Real Madrid's La Liga defeat to Espanyol
Real Madrid are already without the services of Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal for the remainder of the season due to serious knee injuries, while David Alaba has only just returned after more than a year on the sidelines with a long-term knee problem.
Should Rudiger be facing a period out, then Ancelotti may have to turn to Raul Asencio and Aurelien Tchouameni in the middle of the defence, with Alaba not yet ready to be exposed to 90-minute matches.
An update from Real Madrid could arrive over the next 24 hours or so, but it is possible that Rudiger could miss the upcoming Champions League playoff with Man City.
A minor hamstring injury may result in three or four weeks on the sidelines, meaning that he may not be back on the field until the La Liga fixture with Real Betis at the start of March.
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Real Madrid were shocked by Espanyol on Saturday night
Espanyol scored late through Carlos Romero to beat Real Madrid on Saturday, as Los Blancos lost for the third time in Spain's top flight this season, but they remain top of the La Liga table, one point ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid.
"It was a difficult, tough game. We did some things well, we had good control, especially in the second half. We had a goal disallowed, hit the post and had 20 shots on goal. The game was under control, but Espanyol, who played very well on the counter-attack, caught us off guard and scored. They had the game they wanted," said Ancelotti.
"Espanyol played really well. They defended very well, it was what they had to do. We could've done better, but it wasn't as bad as the result reflects. We had chances. We're still in the fight and we have to look to the next game."
At this stage, there are no suggestions that Real Madrid will enter the January transfer market to bring in a new centre-back, with the club wanting to wait until the end of the campaign to sign a player in that area of the field.
Matt Law
