Sergio Ramos is back in the Real Madrid XI for tonight’s La Liga visit of Espanyol, who in turn hand a debut to goalkeeper Giedrus Arlauskis.
The defender had been nursing a calf injury but returns in place of Pepe at the heart of Los Blancos’ backline as Dani Carvajal comes in at Danilo’s expense.
Espanyol, on the other hand, start with Arlauskis between the sticks, just days after arriving on loan from Watford, but there isn’t such luck for fellow new boy Oscar Duarte.
There are plenty of links between the two clubs, most notably Kiko Casilla and Lucas Vazquez, both of whom joined Madrid from Espanyol last summer, while the Coaches Zinedine Zidane and Constantin Galca were rivals in Spanish football during their playing days.
Real Madrid: Navas; Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo; Kroos, Modric, Isco; James, Benzema,
Subs: Casilla, Nacho, Danilo, Kovacic, Casemiro, Vazquez, Jese
Espanyol: Arlauskis; Lopez, Alvaro, Roco, R Duarte; Diop, Sanchez; Jordan, Salva, Perez; Mamadou
Subs: Pau, Abraham, Montanes, Canas, Ciani, Fuentes, O Duarte
Referee: Hernandez Hernandez
