Before Real Madrid take on FC Barcelona in La Liga later this month, they have a key contest coming up against another Catalan outfit in the form of Espanyol.

The two sides are set to lock horns tomorrow at Santiago Bernabeu, in what could be a must-win encounter for the home side. The hosts are indeed trailing league leaders Barça by a whopping nine points and must secure a victory if they are to remain in the race.

However, heading into the game, a couple of Real Madrid players must proceed with caution as they are running the risk of missing the Barcelona game due to a yellow card suspension.

The two players in question are Eduardo Camavinga and Nacho Fernandez. Both players have picked up four yellow cards this season and will miss the next league game if they pick up another one tomorrow.

While Nacho has played a bit-part role in the Real Madrid first-team this season, which in turn, has led to speculations over his future, the potential absence of Camavinga could be a major blow for Los Blancos.

This is because the young midfielder has played a critical role in midfield in recent months. His performances in midfield have been commendable while his versatility has allowed Carlo Ancelotti to deploy him as a left-back, during the absence of David Alaba and Ferland Mendy.

While both the players are nearing their return to full fitness, one would expect Camavinga to once again be in contention to start at left-back against Barcelona, especially if the two do not recover in time.

Camavinga, therefore, must proceed with caution as Real Madrid take on Espanyol. It will not come as a surprise to see the youngster being barred from playing the ninety minutes and replaced halfway by someone like Nacho.