Real Madrid round-up: Hazard, Isco, Rodrygo, Benzema...

International football takes centre stage over the next seven days but it's business as usual at Real Madrid where work never stops - even if Julen Lopetegui is making do without 14 of his first team players over the next few days...

85% of Real Madrid fans want Hazard in January

There are two items on Florentino's wish list - a proven goal scorer and a high profile megastar - an iconic figure who will get the fans and the team's excitement back. Chelsea striker Eden Hazard fulfills both of those requisites - he's the leading scorer in the Premier League, has averaged around the 17-goal mark in all of the past six seasons at Stamford Bridge and blurted out his desire to play for Madrid after last weekend's win at Southampton. Hazard's contract runs out in June 2020, but AS asked our readers whether Madrid should try and sign him in the next transfer window, which opens on 1 January 2019. Out of the 50,465 votes received, 42,850 were in favour of bringing in the Belgian asap - in the winter transfer window while 6,503 fans would prefer Madrid to hold fire and save their bid for the player until the end of the season.

Marcelo up and running

After a fraught few days there was some good news for Lopetegui today. Marcelo completed this morning's session, in the rain, with the rest of the squad. The left-back has been sidelined since spraining his left calf muscle during the Madrid derby. It's the third consecutive day that he has joined the squad's workout but he only completed part of Monday and Tuesday's sessions before disappearing to exercise in the gym.

As for Madrid's other walking wounded, Isco is progressing well after undergoing surgery on a ruptured appedix. The midfielder is building back his rhythm slowly and trained apart from the group today - as did Karim Benzema and Dani Carvajal, who trained in the warmth of the gym.

Bale honoured for breaking Rushie's record

Gareth Bale will be rested in tomorrow's friendly with Spain but before the game gets underway in Cardiff, he will receive an award from the Welsh FA for breaking Ian Rush's goal-scoring record for the national team which remained intact for over two decades. Rush scored 28 goals during his international career with Wales - his record was finally broken in March when Bale netted a hat trick against China to take his personal tally to 30 and claim the record.

Rodrygo among the 10 best young players on the planet

Madrid's teenage winger, who is currently on loan at Santos, is among the nominees for this year's Raymond Kopa award - the annual accolade presented by France Football to the world's best player under the age of 21. Rodrygo, 17, is one of the youngest in the shortlist and is up against some big names who are already established in Europe's top leagues - Kylian Mbappé, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Houssem Aouar, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Patrick Cutrone, Justin Kluivert, Amadou Haidara, Ritsu Doan and Christian Pulisic. Rodrygo says he's happy just to be in the list: "It makes me feel extremely happy to be among such great footballers, competing for this award which is recognition on a world scale. It motivates me to keep working and developing. I've only been professional for one year and this news has brought me a lot of happiness".