Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has admitted that he currently does not have the luxury of being able to leave club captain Sergio Ramos out of this weekend's La Liga clash at home to Sporting Gijon.
Ramos is currently on four bookings in Spain's top flight and another on Saturday afternoon would see the Spain centre-back suspended for next weekend's El Clasico away to Barcelona.
Neither Raphael Varane nor Pepe is expected to be fit to face Gijon, however, which has left Zidane short of options in central defence entering the Gijon clash at the Bernabeu.
"Sergio will have to play. I'm not focusing on that yellow card or worrying about that yellow card. We have a key game," Zidane told reporters. "Before Barcelona we have a game on Saturday and hopefully it all works out well."
Victory for La Liga leaders Real Madrid this weekend would see them open up a seven-point lead over second-placed Barcelona ahead of the Catalan outfit's trip to Real Sociedad on Sunday night.
Matt Law
