Real Madrid crisis: Bad news for Alvaro Arbeloa ahead of El Clasico as 'retirement' option considered after injury update

Real Madrid defender Ferland Mendy will consider retirement if his recovery from a serious injury does not go as planned, the latest report has claimed.

Los Blancos have not only had a disappointing season in La Liga and the Champions League, but a number of isssues appear to be bubbling in their squad.

News of Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde's reported falling out dominated headlines on Thursday, but there have also been a number of other stories questioning the future of players such as Kylian Mbappe.

The injury that left-back Mendy suffered last Sunday against Espanyol has flown under the radar, but there were serious concerns about his health given that game was just his ninth appearance of his injury-plagued season.

Spanish outlet COPE claims that Mendy will be out for at least a year due to a serious leg issue, and if recovery from surgery does not go as planned, the option of retirement has not been ruled out.

Real Madrid latest: Injuries, Aurelien Tchouameni and Kylian Mbappe

The injury news regarding Mendy has compounded the club's poor campaign, but injury problems are arguably the least concerning issues at present.

There have been persistent rumours of a toxic dressing room environment, one that ultimately cost Xabi Alonso his job in January, and the reported altercation between Valverde and Tchouameni would have fuelled those rumours.

Fans have also let their frustration be known, with a viral petition to sell Mbappe having reached more than thirty million signatures as of Thursday.

Add in uncertainty regarding the future of Arbeloa in the dugout, and it would appear that president Florentino Perez is set for a busy summer.

El Clasico: What next for Real Madrid this season?

There is nothing left to play for this season in terms of silverware, but the club can still end the season on a relatively positive note by beating rivals Barcelona in El Clasico on Sunday.

Barca are in first place and are 11 points ahead of Los Blancos with just four games remaining, so while a league title is almost certainly an inevitability, fans will still appreciate the team delaying celebrations at Camp Nou.

However, Real have lost five of their last six meetings with their rivals, and a defeat could inflame tensions between fans, players and staff even further.