Preview: Madrid-Las Palmas

Real Madrid will stick to their guns against Las Palmas, despite back-to-back defeats, according to Coach Zinedine Zidane.

Madrid lost to Girona and Tottenham Hotspur in the space of a week, with many citing the sales of several first-teamers over the summer as a reason for their diminished form.

However, Zidane said at a Press conference: “Things are as they are and you have to accept them.

“What interests me is the squad that I have today. We can only apply more desire. Each one of us can give more and I’m convinced that we will, me being the first one.

“I have to put in more energy, and that’s what we're all going to do. Criticism of how we play? We can change in many ways and we can play in many ways.

“[The criticism] won’t change our formation. We have an idea of how we’re going to play. It doesn’t depend on our formation and I won’t change after two defeats.

“There’s no crisis and we don’t have to go crazy.”

The Frenchman also confirmed Gareth Bale and Dani Carvajal would join Mateo Kovacic, Keylor Navas and Raphael Varane in missing the match.

Reports, meanwhile, suggest Las Palmas have already contacted former Atletico Madrid, Osasuna and Real Zaragoza boss Javier Aguirre about replacing Pako Ayestaran, in the event the latter fails to mastermind the islanders to a shock victory.

Ayestaran has set a new League record of 11 consecutive defeats across his spells with Las Palmas and Valencia, and his cause has not been helped by Aythami Artiles, Tana, Jonathan Viera, Alen Halilovic and Ousmane Tannane all pulling out with injury.

However, the visitors can take solace from drawing with Los Blancos twice last season and scoring five goals against them.

Real Madrid (probable): Casilla; Achraf, Nacho, Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos; Isco; Ronaldo, Benzema

Injuries/suspensions: Bale, Carvajal, Kovacic, Keylor, Varane (I)

Las Palmas (probable): Chichizola; Michel, Bigas, Ximo, Dani Castellano; Vicente, Samper, Aquilani; Remy, Calleri, Vitolo

Injuries/suspensions: Aythami, Tana, Viera, Halilovic, Tannane (I)

Referee: Sanchez Martinez

Form guide: Madrid – 4th (L W W W W) Las Palmas – 19th (L L L L L)

Previous meeting: Madrid 3-3 Las Palmas

Venue: Santiago Bernabeu

Kick-off time: 19:45 GMT/20:45 CET (LIVE on Football Espana)

La Liga - Club News