Real Madrid have very little room for error in the thrilling La Liga title race as they host Valencia in league play on Saturday.

Los Blancos sit three points behind Barcelona with nine matches remaining, and the way their Clasico rivals are playing, there aren't expected to be many opportunities to make up ground. If Madrid wish to position themselves to pounce on any eventual slip, they cannot afford to fall further back in the race.

With the club also into the Copa del Rey final and set to meet Premier League giants Arsenal in the Champions League quarterfinals, Carlo Ancelotti must find places to make sacrifices and give key players rest for the run-in, as he cannot afford to overwork his star performers.

Valencia, meanwhile, are still battling against relegation near the bottom of the table and need to find points anywhere they can. They sit 15th on 31 points, four above third-bottom Leganes.

While there seems to be enough fodder below them to feel safe, that gap is far from a done deal, and a bad run of form could cause problems. Carlos Corberan's side are on a restorative run of four matches unbeaten.

The Sporting News runs through the latest team news and injury updates for both sides as the match draws nearer.