Carvajal and James to keep the Bernabéu happy

Chen Yansheng is 254^th on the Forbes China Rich List, a position that, given the Asian nation’s population, would place him in the business mogul Champions League spots. The Rastar Group magnate’s bank balance exceeds the one-billion euro mark. Espanyol, meanwhile, head into this evening’s encounter thirteenth in La Liga, just four points above the drop zone. The plan is that the club’s new president’s business acumen – in other words the war chest his remote-control car fortune can provide – will be to the Catalan outfit’s benefit. Nonetheless, it takes time to bed in a new regime at a football club, and Real Madrid are not the kind of team to show patience in these matters.

Espanyol’s line-up will not be a familiar one at the Bernabéu tonight. With six of the usual suspects missing for this match, Los Pericos will be particularly affected going forward. Caicedo, Chen’s first significant bit of business as the club’s big cheese (the Asian tycoon now owes 100% of the Ecuadorian’s contract and has increased his buyout clause to €35 million), is injured. Gerard Moreno is suspended, while Asensio and Burgui are contractually obliged to sit this one out against their parent club. That leaves the visitors with Hernán Pérez and whatever Galca can ponder up to keep things tight. Espanyol have been lacking massively of late and have only managed two draws from their last seven outings. The Catalans have also failed to string two league wins together all season. Víctor Sánchez returns to the side while Óscar Duarte will be making his debut.

Real Madrid will be without Pepe, who has featured in every game since the Clásico disaster, but welcome back Sergio Ramos, who has spent half of the season sidelined and as a shadow of his former self. The expectation is that Zidane will go with Carvajal, who has been underutilised so far this year, despite being streets ahead of Danilo. There is no need for the Frenchman to provoke the ire of the Bernabéu by choosing the unfavoured Brazilian at right back and, with Bale out, the new manager also has an opportunity to give both James and Isco run outs. That decision would be at the expense of Jesé, another crowd favourite, although Zizou has already used the Canary Islander on three occasions, sending a clear message that the forward is far closer to breaking into the starting eleven than he was under Benítez (who only included him in three starting line-ups).

Everything will hinge on Benzema, who has hit the mark in every match so far in 2016, and Cristiano Ronaldo, whose goal drought is down to a lack of work according to his manager. The Portuguese marksman stuck five past Espanyol earlier in the season so if he’s to rediscover his predatory instincts this is the match to do it.