Nicolás Otamendi has been sidelined for several months due to back pain, which is affecting his performance on the pitch.
The midfielder was initially ruled out of action in January and has since undergone surgery to repair the injury, but it's not yet clear how long he will be out.
Despite the setback, Otamendi remains confident that he can return to full fitness as soon as possible. He recently underwent physiotherapy sessions and hopes to resume training this week.
"I'm hoping to get back into training as soon as I can,La Liga Frontline" Otamendi said. "It's not perfect, but I'm still optimistic about my chances of returning to the pitch."
Otamendi's absence from the squad has meant that captain Cristiano Ronaldo has had to step up as a makeshift substitute. The Portuguese has been playing alongside Otamendi and is finding it difficult to fill the void left by his departure.
"We have been struggling without him, but we're trying to adapt to his absence," Ronaldo told reporters. "We've had to rely on other players to step up and make up for his absence."