A plague of injuries, that is the case for the big three in LaLiga Santander this season.
Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Barcelona are experiencing a start to the season which has hit them very hard in that regard.
The pressure of the World Cup in Russia, travel schedules, the short summer break, pre-season requirements, unlucky incidents in games... everything is contributing and taking its toll.
That is why these sides have been 'broken' at the start of the season.
We are just a few months into the campaign and the stars of the big three are frequently ending up on the treatment table.
Atletico: 12 injured players
"In all of the important teams there are injuries so we try to work and ensure that the players can be in the best possible condition," Diego Simeone argued when attempting to explain the fitness crisis.
He is right, of course, but Atletico are suffering worse than the others with injuries.
Twelve players have already been sidelined since the season started.
Recent games have been particularly harmful to them because in the last week alone seven players (Lucas, Jose Gimenez, Stefan Savic, Thomas Lemar, Koke, Diego Godin and Diego Costa) have all been ruled out through injury.
That represents too many ailments in such a short period of time.
Those constant injuries are putting a dent in the mood of the group and have caused tension within the dressing room.
Atletico's injuries
The Rojiblancos' problems are mostly muscular ones and since the start of the season, they have suffered 12 injuries of this kind.
Gimenez is the standout example, having already fallen foul of four separate muscle injuries.
The latest came in the Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night.
Atletico players who have been injured
Real Madrid: 12 muscle injuries among eight players
Nine players have missed time through injury across the side since the season began.
The first occurred in pre-season when Alvaro Odriozola, recently signed from Real Sociedad, was injured on August 5 with a thigh injury.
Real Madrid's injuries
Marcelo, Raphael Varane and Mariano have been the most recent recipients of injury after El Clasico on October 28.
The left-back suffered a hamstring problem in his right leg, Varane was ruled out with a muscle issue in his thigh, while Mariano has missed time with an injury to the femoral biceps of his right leg.
Just as at Atletico, it is muscle injuries that are proving most problematic for Los Blancos.
They have suffered 12 of those type of injuries among eight players: Gareth Bale (2), Marcelo (2), Dani Carvajal (2), Jesus Vallejo (2), Karim Benzema, Mariano, Varane and Odriozola.
Real Madrid players who have been injured
Barcelona: Messi, Coutinho, Suarez... but fewer injuries
This week, Philippe Coutinho was the latest big name to fall after the game against Inter, when he admitted feeling some discomfort.
He will be out for up three weeks due to a hamstring strain in his left leg that was picked up in medical tests.
It is a sensitive absentee for Ernesto Valverde, who has already been without six players through injury.
Barcelona's injuries
One was Lionel Messi who has yet to return from breaking a bone in his arm against Sevilla on October 20, although he could do so the weekend.
He is already back in training with his teammates but has yet to play since the injury, despite travelling with the side to Milan for their midweek Champions League clash.
Of the three big sides, Barcelona have suffered the least amount of injuries.
So far, seven players have suffered some kind of mishap, two less that Real and five fewer than Atletico.
In addition, the muscular problems are much less frequent at the Camp Nou, with the Madrid sides having 12 apiece, while that number is just three for the Azulgrana.
Barcelona players who have been injured
