EUROPEAN SUPER CUP
Marcelo and Casemiro the two doubts in Lopetegui's first official starting eleven
The manager planned to start the two Brazilians, Marcelo and Casemiro, after playing them against AC Milan but wasn't overly impressed with their preparation.
The four preseason games play by Real Madrid this summer have given Julen Lopetegui the chance to shape his eleven for the European Super Cup in Tallinn on Wednesday night. He still had two doubts, however, in Marcelo and Casemiro. Lopetegui plans to start the two Brazilians after the player the first half of the Bernabeu Trophy game against AC Milan on Saturday night.
It is still unclear as to whether Lopetegui is happy where they are in terms of preparation after returning back from their World Cup duties. And for that reason, he will have to wait and see how they perform in the last few sessions before the Madrid derby on foreign soil before making a decision on his starting eleven.
The alternatives are Nacho and Dani Ceballos. Lopetegui used the former on plenty of occasions during his spell with Spain and had no problem playing him on the left-hand side of his defence. Ceballos is one of the players to have enhanced his reputation during the preseason. The confidence gained by Ceballos since Lopetegui's takeover is evident and gives him a fighting chance to start against Atlético Madrid.
Luka Modric was the last player to join his teammates for preseason and he arrived on the 8th of August. Lopetegui is keen to ease him into action after a demanding World Cup.
The manager brought 29 player to Tallinn including five goalkeepers, Reguillón, Javi Sánchez and Sergio López with only Martin Odegaard left out.
