Real Madrid will host Málaga at the Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday in their next La Liga match.
Los Blancos arrive in excellent form, sitting near the top of the table after a flawless start to the domestic season under José Mourinho. They have taken the full six points from their first two games, showing strong attacking play. Madrid began the campaign with a hard-earned 2-1 win away at RCD Espanyol, then produced a dominant home performance last time out, beating Real Sociedad 4-1 thanks largely to a stunning hat-trick by star forward Kylian Mbappé.
Real Madrid team news
Real Madrid face a significant fitness problem ahead of the match, with manager José Mourinho dealing with seven confirmed first-team absences.
Several key players missed the final group training sessions at Valdebebas. Defensive options are particularly thin: Éder Militão is sidelined by a hamstring injury, Ferland Mendy is out with a hip issue, and youngster Raúl Asencio is nursing a shin injury.
Midfield and attack are also hit, with Thiago Pitarch and winger Rodrygo both ruled out with knee injuries. The casualty list grew further after recent knocks kept Endrick and midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni sidelined with muscle problems.
To cope with the depleted squad during a busy schedule, Mourinho is expected to alter his starting lineup.
Marc Cucurella is set to make his first start at left-back ahead of Álvaro Carreras, and broader rotation could see Trent Alexander-Arnold and Brahim Díaz handed their first starts of the season.
Real Madrid predicted lineup
Possible Real Madrid starting XI: Courtois; Arnold, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Silva, Valverde; Diaz, Bellingham, Vini Jr; Mbappe
When will the match kick off?
The match will kick off at 4pm BST on Sunday, 30th August.
How to watch Real Madrid vs Malaga?
Viewers in the UK can watch Real Madrid vs Málaga live on Premier Sports 1.
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