Real Madrid will be without the services of three defenders for Sunday's La Liga clash with Real Valladolid.

Los Blancos fell 15 points behind leaders Barcelona in the table on Saturday, with the Catalan outfit recording a 4-0 victory over bottom-of-the-division Elche in a dominant performance.

Real Madrid will now be bidding to bounce back from their loss in El Clasico before the international break when they welcome Real Valladolid to Bernabeu.

Nacho is out of the squad through suspension due to the yellow card that he picked up against Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Los Blancos are without another two defenders in the shape of Ferland Mendy and Antonio Rudiger, which will be concerning for head coach Carlo Ancelotti ahead of the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final with Barcelona next week.

Mendy has only just recovered from a muscular problem, but the Frenchman is now facing up to one month on the sidelines with a calf issue.

"Following tests carried out on our player Ferland Mendy by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a muscle issue in his left calf. His recovery will be monitored," read the medical report on Real Madrid's official website.

Rudiger's injury is a fresh blow, with the Germany international said to have felt discomfort in his knee during the final training session ahead of Sunday's match.

According to journalist Sergio Quirante, the issue is only minor, but he will have tests on Monday to determine the extent of the damage before a decision is made on his involvement in El Clasico.

David Alaba is back in the squad, though, with the defender making his return from a hamstring injury for Austria during the international break.

Mariano Diaz has been left out due to a muscular problem, but there is a return for Alvaro Rodriguez, who was suspended for the clash with Barcelona before the international break.

"We have the same problems as in other teams. Mendy has not had a good season. We will replace him well as we did when he was out," said Ancelotti during his pre-match press conference.

"We are fine. The internationals are in good shape. We were unlucky to have Mendy injured but we are ready."

Real Madrid have won each of their last four La Liga games against Real Valladolid, including a 2-0 success in the reverse fixture between the two sides back in December.

Real Madrid squad vs. Real Valladolid:

Courtois, Lunin, Lopez; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Vallejo, Odriozola, Vazquez; Kroos, Modric, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni, Ceballos; Hazard, Benzema, Asensio, Vinicius, Rodrygo, Alvaro body check tags ::