Real Madrid will be without Gareth Bale and Luka Modric when they face Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Los Blancos have got their European campaign off to a disastrous start with a 3-0 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain followed by a 2-2 draw against Club Bruges on home soil.
They are in desperate need of a win in Istanbul to get their Champions League campaign up and running – and to also put the 1-0 defeat against Mallorca at the weekend behind them.
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However, they will have to do it without both Bale and Modric, who have been left out of Zinedine Zidane’s squad.
Bale has been left out in the past after falling out of favour with Zidane, but, on this occasion, injury is the reason behind his omission.
The winger, who has scored two goals in seven games for Real this season, returned from international duty with Wales with a niggle and will not be risked.
Meanwhile, Modric was also injured while playing for Croatia and has been left out of the Real squad that will make the trip to take on the Turkish outfit.
Lucas Vasquez is another player who misses out through injury and Zidane’s options have been hampered by having so many players on the sidelines.
Zidane is in need of a positive result following the Mallorca defeat as speculation continues to rage over his future. Real need to get through the group or the axe could fall, with reports claiming that Jose Mourinho is being lined up to make a return.
