Real Madrid centre-back David Alaba is reportedly winning his fitness battle ahead of Saturday's La Liga contest with Osasuna at Bernabeu.
The 31-year-old has missed his team's last two matches against Girona and Napoli due to the groin problem that he picked up against Las Palmas on September 27.
Real Madrid are back in La Liga action on Saturday against Osasuna, and a victory would ensure that they whether the October international break top of the table.
Los Blancos have issues in the middle of their defence, with Eder Militao out for a long period due to a serious knee injury, while Nacho is suspended due to his red card against Girona.
As a result, Antonio Rudiger is currently their only senior fit centre-back, but Alaba is allegedly winning his battle to be available for the clash with Osasuna.
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According to Marca, Alaba will undergo more tests on Friday before a final decision is made on his potential involvement in this weekend's contest.
The report claims that the Austrian trained alongside his teammates on Thursday, and there is a belief that he will be able to prove his fitness for the game with Osasuna.
According to journalist Jorge Picon, if Alaba is unable to recover in time, Ferland Mendy could be used in the middle of the defence alongside Rudiger.
Mendy has only started once for Real Madrid this season, missing the early weeks of the campaign through injury, before returning towards the end of last month.
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The Frenchman started against Las Palmas in the league on September 27, while he featured off the bench against Napoli in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
If Alaba is fit, then Mendy could feature at left-back, with Eduardo Camavinga potentially moving into central midfield for the clash with Osasuna.
Fran Garcia is also an option on the left side of the defence, with the summer arrival providing two assists in eight appearances this season.
Thibaut Courtois remains a long-term absentee for Real Madrid, with the club's number one goalkeeper expected to miss the rest of the campaign due to a serious knee injury.
Meanwhile, summer arrival Arda Guler is on the sidelines with a thigh problem, which he suffered in training after recovering from a knee operation.
Matt Law
