The current defensive crisis at Real Madrid means that José Mourinho will have to come up with a plan to get through the next few games. Álvaro Arbeloa, Marcelo and Fábio Coentrao are all out injured, meaning the coach will have to look at other options.

Fabinho has begun training with the first team and it seems other players will have to be ready to play out of position. Sergio Ramos could be moved to full-back. Raúl Albiol and Raphaël Varane are other alternatives. Even Ángel Di María’s name has been mentioned as an emergency cover for left-back.

The logical move would be for Mourinho to play Ramos or Michael Essien in the right-back position. Andalusia-born Ramos is an accomplished right-back and played in this position just recently in Arbeloa’s absence, against Deportivo La Coruña. Ghanian Essien is yet to play in the position for Real. However, the player was signed because of his ability to be used in several positions.

Either Albiol or Varane are two other possibilities to play at full-back in order not to separate the solid defensive partnership formed by Ramos and Pepe.

Mourinho may also be tempted to turn to the second team and go with Fabinho – who was drafted into Real Madrid Castilla (Real's reserve team) to replace Daniel Carvajal, who would have been another possible alternative.

The left-back position would logically be filled by either Nacho Fernández or Jorge Casado - who also play in the second team. With the Borussia Dortmund game on the horizon, either Ramos or Essien could be in the running to play at left-back, with Di María a long shot.