Topics: Karim Benzema, Real Madrid, Barcelona, El Clasico, La Liga
Los Blancos prepare to host the Catalan giants on Sunday. However, Ancelotti will be without arguably his best player.

Real Madrid are gearing up for one of the more interesting El Clasico editions in recent years, but unfortunately for Los Blancos, the league leaders will welcome their bitter rivals without arguably their best players.

Santiago Bernabeu will be the venue for Sunday's highly-anticipated showdown, with Ancelotti's men set to host Xavi's high-flying side. These two Spanish powerhouses have met twice before, with Barcelona losing on both occasions, but a lot has changed for the Blaugrana since then.

The Catalan giants are unbeaten in their last 11 matches, drawing three and wining the rest. As a result, Real Madrid must be at their very best if they wish to pull off the double against Ferran Torres and Co.

Unfortunately, Los Merengues will have to make do without their key man and that is Karim Benzema. The Frenchman dominated the pre-match discussions due to his fitness issue, with the club confirming a day before the match that their top scorer will play no part in Sunday's affair.

The striker picked up a worrying calf injury on Monday during the 3-0 victory over Mallorca, limping off after netting a lovely brace. Initially, there was hope he could recover in time for the weekend clash. However, the writing was on the wall when the world-class attacker wasn't able to train in Saturday's session.

This will be a huge blow to Ancelotti's side. It wasn't too long ago when his goalscoring heroics led Real Madrid to an unforgettable UEFA Champions League round of 16 victory over PSG. Mariano or possibly even Eden Hazard could be forced to deputize, which will be a huge ask given their form. Here is Los Blancos' squad in full.