Real Madrid have some positive injury news for a change this season, with two of their injured party likely to return before the end of the year. Villarreal visit the Santiago Bernabeu on the 17th of December, and it appears as if Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni will both be available for that clash.

Guler has missed the entire season thus far with a variety of injuries, his latest to his hamstring, but is hoping to make it back before 2024. Meanwhile Tchouameni was ruled out with a fractured metatarsal after their clash with Barcelona on the 28th of October, and was supposed to be out for two months. Yet his speedy recovery means he too may be back for the Yellow Submarine, two weeks ahead of schedule. Diario AS say that if they do not reappear in that game, their final game of the year against Alaves would be a likely return date.

Marca also note that Vinicius Junior was back training on the grass on Thursday. Some diagnoses had predicted a February return for the Brazilian, yet he is targeting a return in the Spanish Supercup in Saudi Arabia, the second week of January. Vinicius suffered muscle tear while on Brazil duty in mid-November.

Luka Modric and Kepa Arrizabalaga trained as normal, as was the case for Jude Bellingham. The former pair are recovering from injury, while Bellingham had been in the gym work on Wednesday. Los Blancos face Real Betis this weekend at the Benito Villamarin, which profiles as their most difficult game before the end of the year. If Carlo Ancelotti can maintain their four-point gap to Barcelona and Atletico Madrid until Christmas, and then begin to get some of their injured players fit again, it would be an excellent achievement.