Sergio Ramos Injury: Real Madrid Defender Injures X vs. X

Real Madrid have announced star defender Sergio Ramos has suffered a calf injury, and he will reportedly miss up to three weeks of La Liga action.

The club announced news of the injury on Friday. Per Marca's Andreas Vou, the injury will rule him out of Monday's clash with Leganes.

Being without Ramos is a major blow for Los Blancos, who still rely on the one-time Sevilla star to be their talisman at the back. Ramos is a natural leader on the pitch, a vocal presence who rallies the team in times of trouble and a highly accomplished defender.

Los Blancos sit in third place in the La Liga standings, well ahead of fourth-placed Getafe and the rest of the chasing pack. A ticket for next year's UEFA Champions League is all but assured, but the title is well out of reach, and the focus is on rivals Atletico Madrid, who hold a two-point advantage in second.

Having won four of their last five matches, Real seem in a strong position to close the gap to Atletico. Losing Ramos is a major setback, however, as centre-back happens to be the one area where depth is scarce.

Nacho is the likely replacement, but former star prospect Jesus Vallejo is another option, even though the 22-year-old has barely played this season and doesn't appear to have the confidence of manager Zinedine Zidane at this point. That could change with Ramos sidelined, however, especially if Nacho continues to struggle.