Zinedine Zidane must return to the drawing board to cover Gareth Bale's post-surgery absence now that initial replacement Lucas Vazquez joins the Welshman on the sidelines for the next three matches.
With the Spain international not scheduled to return until January 15, the Real Madrid coach must trust in James Rodriguez, Isco or Marco Asensio for the upcoming two-legged Copa del Rey tie against Sevilla and the league match against Granada.
Plan A would be to play Isco, who won Zidane over in the final few weeks of 2016 and who could reinforce the midfield against Sevilla.
Vazquez offered speed, directness and help up front, but Isco would allow for more control of the ball and could assist Casemiro, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos against Jorge Sampaoli's in-form midfield.
There would be similar benefits to playing James, who had fuelled speculation of a winter exit with his comments after the Club World Cup final, but who was welcomed to the first post-Christmas training session with a hug from his coach.
The final option would be to start Asensio, a player with far more similarities to Bale and Vazquez and a player capable of conjuring up a goal.
With the three matches coming in a space of just eight days, the French tactician may opt for a combination of the trio as he tries to replace the replacement.