Real Madrid travel to Huesca tomorrow with the ambition of regaining second place in La Liga at the expense of Barcelona.
That’s their short-term ambition, while their longer-term ambition of applying pressure to leaders Atletico Madrid, ten points clear, looks slightly more complicated.
Los Blancos lost 2-1 to Levante at Valdebebas last weekend, a result that came hot on the heels of exits to Athletic Bilbao in the Supercopa de Espana and third-tier Alcoyano in the Copa del Rey.
Zinedine Zidane wasn’t present during the defeat to Levante as he had tested positive for covid-19, but he’s come under significant pressure nonetheless.
To compound matters, there’s a Sergio Ramos-shaped cloud above the Madrid sky at the moment, with the talismanic captain’s future still up in the air. He’s yet to agree terms with Madrid on a new deal and is looking increasingly likely to be leaving the club come the summer.
He also won’t be available for Huesca as per Diario AS. The Andalusian didn’t train at Valdebebas in the final session ahead of the clash, meaning that he’ll miss the fourth game in a row.
The last one he played was the semi-final of the Supercopa, when he felt discomfort in his knee during the warmup that deteriorated during the game.