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Real Madrid are facing a defensive crisis after Raphael Varane was ruled out of this weekend’s game against Eibar with a thigh injury.

The Frenchman limped off in the midweek Champions League match against Shakhtar Donesk after just 31 minutes with the problem and has since been assessed by the club’s medical team.

A statement on the Real Madrid website confirmed the injury, and while no official timeline has been put on the defender’s return, he will not feature this weekend with some media reports suggesting he could miss up to three weeks of action.

“After tests carried out today on the player Raphael Varane at the Sanitas La Moraleja University Hospital, he has been diagnosed with a muscle injury in his right thigh,” read a club statement. His recovery will continue to be assessed,” the statement read.

The news will be a blow to Real boss Rafa Benitez, who has seen his side ship 10 goals in the past three games. Sergio Ramos is due to have an operation on his shoulder after playing through the pain in recent weeks although no confirmation of when that will take place has been revealed yet.

Varane’s absence will allow more playing time for Nacho Fernandez, who earlier this week spoke about his delight at getting more minutes in the first team.

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The latest Real Madrid transfer rumours include Alberto Moreno becoming a solid option to reinforce the left-back position, Michal Laudrup placing himself as a candidate to replace Rafa Benitez and Lucas Lima nearing an agreement to arrive at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Los Merengues are reportedly trying to find a left-back who can give Marcelo some rest, as the Brazilian is one of the players who never takes a break. Spanish press has revealed Alberto Moreno has become one of the favourites to arrive at the Bernabeu, and Florentino Perez could even try to bring him in January, given the injury problems they are suffering.

Real Madrid have been eyeing Moreno for a while, and they even considered landing him last summer, but Benitez thought his squad was complete enough. Injuries have made him change his mind, and he is keen on bringing the Liverpool man. Yet, Los Blancos are also considering Bayern Munich’s David Alaba and Paris Saint-Germain’s Layvin Kurzawa.

Meanwhile, Brazilian press has claimed Santos midfielder Lucas Lima is about to sign a deal with Los Blancos, and could complete his move to Spain soon. The player’s agent has revealed “Real Madrid are in the first position to sign” Lima, and the deal could be closed in 20 million euros.

Rumours of a possible Benitez dismissal continue in Spain and there is one new candidate to replace the manager. Former Los Merengues playmaker Michael Laudrup is one of the options Florentino Perez is considering. Real’s general director Jose Angel Sanchez has reportedly recommended the Danish man for the job. Yet, Joachim Low and Zinedine Zidane are in a better position at the moment.

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La Liga president Javier Tebas says Real Madrid’s 4-0 defeat to Barcelona was tough to watch as a Madridista.

Los Blancos were humbled at the Santiago Bernabeu last Saturday as the league champions ran riot. Luis Suarez netted twice while Neymar and Andres Iniesta both netted. So impressed with the performance of the World Cup winner that the home fans even applauded Iniesta off the field when he was removed in the second half with the three points already wrapped up.

Tebas caused controversy last week when he admitted he was a Real Madrid fan and had been since he was a child. He added that despite his support for the 10-time Champions League winners, he has to put that to the side in his job and remain impartial.

“Barcelona played great, great football. They were much better than Madrid, and really wanted to win,” he said in quotes published by AS.

“As a fan of Madrid it was a tough game. I told my children, who were there, they had seen a part of football history as 4-0 doesn’t happen often. This is football. Hopefully Madrid can turn it around.”

Real face Eibar this weekend and will look to get back on track after losing two successive games in the league.

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Eibar midfielder Adrian Gonzalez says now is probably the best time to face Real Madrid ahead to the two sides’ meeting this weekend.

Los Blancos head to the Basque Country on Sunday afternoon looking to recapture the form that took them to the top of La Liga earlier this month. Having looked solid defensively in the opening 14 games of the campaign, the 10-time Champions League winners have conceded 10 goals in their last three games.

They have lost their previous two La Liga fixtures to Sevilla (2-3) and Barcelona (0-4) while they scraped past Shakhtar Donesk (4-3) during the week having been four goals up with 12 minutes remaining.

Asked about his sides’ chances of competing with the European giants, Gonzalez told Madrid-based daily AS: “It’s true they’re not in the best form and we know it’s difficult to play here, and this year, we’re doing things right.”

The former Madrid B team player, and son of Real legend Michel, went on to add: “Perhaps it’s the best time to play them because things aren’t working out so well for them. It’s difficult for anyone to play at Ipurua and we’re in a very positive mood since we are doing well and we have the confidence to do something good.”

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Real Madrid are reportedly eyeing Chelsea youngster Ruben Loftus-Cheek, sources from Britain have revealed.

The 19-year-old midfielder has impressed many in his four appearances for the Blues this season, and he has caught the attention of several European giants, including Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Manchester City.

Los Blancos scouts have also sent positive reports and the club directors are watching Loftus-Cheek closely, as he plays in a position that they might try to reinforce in the future.

At the moment, Casemiro is the only defensive midfielder in the squad, and although Lucas Silva should return from his one-year loan at Lyon next summer, Loftus-Cheek seems like a more interesting option given his potential.

Chelsea are trying to extend the Englishman’s contract, but they haven’t reached an agreement yet, and the player could be tempted to leave.

Loftus-Cheek has been at Chelsea for eleven years now. He joined the club at the age of eight. He has played in the youth teams since then, and made his senior debut in December 2014. He has also represented England Under-16, Under-17, Under-19 and he is currently a member of the Under-21 squad.

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Real Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez said he was happy get some more playing time in the win over Shakhtar Donesk on Wednesday night.

The centre back was one of many changes made to the team following the weekend defeat to Barcelona.

Los Blancos won 4-3 in Ukraine having been four goals to the good with 12 minutes remaining before the hosts launched a stunning comeback.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Nacho said: “We’re happy with the win but we have to learn and we need to be able to handle those kinds of situations in games. The aim today was to win and finish top of the group. We were in complete control throughout the match, except for the final 15 minutes. They had more of the ball, they pushed us into our own half and made life difficult for us. They started growing in confidence bit-by-bit, but at the end of the day what matters most is getting the win and learning from our mistakes.

“I’m happy I got to play and I’m adapting to all the different positions. For me playing is what matters, no matter the position. Perhaps we’ve been a bit unlucky in terms of injuries but fingers crossed Varane’s situation isn’t too serious and that players start making their way back from the treatment table.”

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Isco

Real Madrid playmaker Isco says the team needs to stop making mistakes after almost blowing a 4-goal lead against Shakhtar Donesk on Wednesday.

With 12 minutes remaining, Real lead comfortably through goals from Cristiano Ronaldo (2), Luka Modric and Daniel Carvajal. But the hosts fought back with three goals in the closing stages to give the 10-time Champions League winners a scare.

In the end Los Blancos held on, with the three points guaranteeing them top spot in the group.

But speaking to the media afterwards, Isco warned his team mates about the mistakes and said they need to cut them out.

“We played extremely well, not counting the final few minutes. We got the win and the three points. We have to try to correct the mistakes and continue working hard. We need to learn from our mistakes and we hope they won’t happen again in the future, because in the Champions League they could end up costing us dearly,” he stated.

The Spain international also spoke about Clasico at the weekend and apologised to the fans for his sending off.

He commented: “The Clásico is a game we all enjoy playing. It’s the manager who decides what the best line-up is for the match. The result hurt me more than starting on the bench did. I’m ambitious, I try to play as often as possible and I’m very happy at Real Madrid. There are a lot of games and it’s a long season. As a team we need to close that chapter and continue improving.

“I’m not proud about getting sent off in the Clásico. I hope that doesn’t happen again in the future because that’s not the sort of thing I do.”

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Rafa Benitez says his players need to be more aware and not let complacency creep in but would rather take the positives from the 4-3 win over Shakhtar Donesk on Wednesday.

The headlines today will focus on how Los Blancos almost let a 4-goal lead slip against the Ukrainian side. Ronaldo netted twice while Luka Modric and Dani Carvajal grabbed a goal apiece to give the 10-time Champions League winners a comfortable lead after 70 minutes. But the hosts fought back with three goals in the final 12 minutes to give Madrid a scare.

However, at his press conference after the game, Benitez said he wanted to focus on the positives. Real ensured they finished the group in top spot while they won away at an intimidating ground, scoring four goals in the process.

“You have to weigh up a lot of things and I think that what weighs heaviest is that we’ve won the group and played a great game for 78 minutes. We were on top in every department until we made the mistake that led to the penalty, and then they quickly scored a second and grew in confidence. I don’t want to forget that we are group winners and have won away in the Champions League with four goals scored. I leave here with a very positive feeling,” he commented.

Asked once again about his style of management and tactics amid accusations he is too defensive, Benitez added: “As coach of Real Madrid I’ve reiterated a number of times, and today we saw it, that this is a team who attack and score goals. Today, unfortunately we conceded goals that we shouldn’t have at the end. But scoring four and creating the chances that we created, that’s Real Madrid’s style.”

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Casemiro

Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro says the team needs to be more careful in future after Los Blancos almost let a 4 goal lead slip against Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday evening.

The 10-time Champions League winners, already qualified for the next stage of this season’s competition, found themselves comfortably in the lead with 77 minutes played thanks to a brace from Ronaldo and additional strikes by Luka Modric and Daniel Carvajal.

But the hosts fought back in the final minutes, scoring three goals in 10 minutes to very nearly complete a stunning comeback.

Speaking afterwards, Brazilian Casemiro said the players were happy with the win but need to be aware and close out games.

“I’m very happy with the win. We were amazing for 75 minutes; we played really well; we pressed and scored goals. They nearly turned things around at the end, we need to be more careful in future. The opposition need to be taken seriously, this is a tough ground. Shakhtar are a tricky opponent but I’m pleased with our performance during the first 75 minutes, it was incredible. We need to keep playing like that,” he commented.

Asked whether the players still had a hangover from the Barcelona defeat, Casemiro responded: “The defeat to Barcelona is in the past, we need to look ahead to the future now. We have a difficult away match coming up now. I’m here to do what Benítez tells me, he’s a great manager. We’re standing by him, the president, the fans and Real Madrid. By standing together we’re certain to win.”

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The Collins Column

Replacing Carlo Ancelotti was always going to be a tough job for Rafa Benitez. The Italian was, after all, the man who led the club to their 10th Champions League trophy in his first season in charge – a trophy Real had been obsessed with winning for the previous 12 years.

Ancelotti’s two-year stint also brought with it a period of calm after the ups and downs of the Jose Mourinho era. The 56-year-old did not have touchline tantrums, he didn’t have spectacular fallings out with his players or arguments with opposing managers.

There has been some skepticism since day one towards Benitez, with some fans and pundits concerned about him being too defensive and not fitting in with the free-flowing style that Madridistas are so accustomed to.

Despite a promising start – 14 games unbeaten in all competitions up until the Sevilla game – the relationship between Benitez and the players and fans has seemed uneasy. Reports have emerged in recent weeks about senior players such as Ronaldo questioning his tactics while James Rodriguez added fuel to the fire when he questioned publicly why he had been held back from making his return from injury.

Saturday’s loss was embarrassing. Shambolic. Disastrous. Benitez abandoned his tactics and gave the Santiago Bernabeu and president Florentino Perez what they wanted – all out attack. He dropped defensive lynchpin Casemiro and went with an attack minded midfield of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and James Rodriguez. Up front, he started both Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema, both short of match fitness after spells out wit injury.

Afterwards, he told the media the plan was to attack and pressure high up the pitch. There was no pressure high up the pitch though, or indeed anywhere on the pitch and it meant Barcelona ran at the Madrid defence with ease as the midfield went AWOL. At the other end, Barcelona’s defenders will hardly have an easier night all season. A number of Madrid players spoke afterwards of giving Barcelona too much space – quite the understatement there.

Benitez, of course, is not solely to blame for what’s been going on. The players must take responsibility. As must the president, Florentino Perez, for his policy of signing the world’s best talent but not allowing managers to build a team. Chants of ‘Florentino resign’ rang out during and after the game. When the president comes under fire, he tends to point the finger of blame on the manager.

Perez gave Benitez s stay of execution on Monday when he backed the under fire boss to turn things around, but should things not improve soon, the Spaniard could be spending his free time improving his golf, taking longer holidays or if he’s into gaming or gambling, getting to know Mansion Group, the sponsor of Crystal Palace and Bournemouth Football Club and the owner of the popular brand casino.com .

Looking at the fixture list, Los Blancos have plenty of winnable games between now and the winter break. They host Getafe and Rayo Vallecano and visit Villareal in La Liga and also have the Copa del Rey tie with Cadiz. If they stumble in those and if the talk of discontent in the dressing room gets louder, the former Liverpool and Napoli boss could be out by the new year, and Real looking for their 12th permanent manager in 14 years.

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