Real Madrid are already suffering from injuries this season but had hoped to have two reinforcements back for their trip to Real Sociedad.
They will be without Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni, who will remain in the Spanish capital this weekend.
Tchouameni was set to be a doubt until the last minute, after suffering a muscle strain in their last game against Real Betis, which will ultimately keep him out. He and Bellingham, who has been missing since mid-August due to a sprain, both trained apart from the group in their final training session before traveling to Donostia-San Sebastian. In their absence, Luka Modric, Fede Valverde and Arda Guler or Brahim Diaz are expected to start.
Bellingham had been expected to make it back after training with the group during the week, but Marca say Los Blancos are very much taking a cautious approach with both players, in fear of a potential relapse. They will now look towards their clash with Stuttgart on Tuesday in the Champions League, for which they say Bellingham will be completely ready for. With Tchouameni they are looking to be more cautious, as the injury is in the same area that forced him to miss the Champions League semi-final. He will not play again until they are 100% certain he is fit.
Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos are out injured too, hence Carlo Ancelotti’s relative lack of options. It will be an attacking midfield line-up by default, and no doubt the Italian manager will be relying on Valverde to anchor the team, and Modric to provide a touch more control. It will not be an easy task against the likes of Martin Zubimendi and Benat Turrientes though.