Fabio Coentrao has added to Real Madrid’s woes by picking up a groin injury that will keep him out for a month.

The Portuguese left-back was forced to leave the pitch after just 19 minutes of Portugal’s 1-0 defeat to Russia on Friday, leaving Madrid boss Jose Mourinho with a massive problem before Saturday’s home game with Celta Vigo.

Following confirmation Marcelo will be out for three months, it means Mourinho is now left without a recognised left-hand sided defender in his first-team squad.

One option for this weekend would be to move Sergio Ramos to right-back, with either Raul Albiol or Raphael Varane partnering Pepe in central defence, and enabling Alvaro Arbeloa to move to left-back.

The other is to play Michael Essien at right-back, a position he sometimes occupied in his time with Chelsea, with Arbeloa switching to the other side in Marcelo and Coentrao’s place.

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