Real Madrid: Isco back but Zidane still short for Getafe game

The Spain midfielder was back on the training pitch on Monday as Zidane struggles to put together a squad to play Getafe on Tuesday evening.

Zinedine Zidane is facing an ongoing injury crisis ahead of Real Madrid’s match against Getafe on Tuesday and will welcome the return of any first team squad member to help ameliorate a raft of injuries that has left the Frenchman with just 13 fit senior players to welcome their cross-city neighbours to the Bernabéu.

Zidane’s side earned a hard-fought victory over Huesca at the weekend with goals from Raphaël Varane proving sufficient to see off the division’s 20th-placed team but a glance at the bench in El Alcoraz highlights the Real manager’s current problem. Only two senior outfield players, Marcelo and Mariano, were in reserve with back-up keepers Andriy Lunin and Diego Altube making up the numbers alongside Castilla youth teamers Víctor Chust and Marvin.

Zidane has nine senior players out for Getafe

Madrid currently have Álvaro Odriozola, Dani Carvajal, Sergio Ramos, Éder Militão, Fede Valverde, Lucas Vázquez, Rodrygo and Eden Hazard on the sidelines and will be without Toni Kroos on Tuesday after the Germany international picked up a fifth caution in Huesca.

In some good news for Zidane, Isco returned to training on Monday and could play a part against Getafe, taking some pressure off a midfield that has born the brunt of a recent glut of fixtures. This fixture was scheduled to be played on the opening weekend of the season and has only been slotted in now amid the Copa del Rey and after the Spanish Super Cup with the Champions League return on the horizon.

Of his senior squad, Zidane has only Thibaut Courtois, Lunin, Ferland Mendy, Varane, Nacho, Marcelo, Casemiro, Luka Modric, Marco Asensio, Vinicius, Karim Benzema, Mariano and Isco available for Getafe, with Castilla players Chust, Miguel Gutiérrez, Blanco, Marvin, Arribas and Hugo Vallejo joining training on Monday with at least two or three of those youngsters likely to make the bench on Tuesday.