Real Madrid is set to host Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday<\/strong> in their next La Liga<\/a> fixture.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Jose Mourinho\u2019s men head to this match after back-to-back wins in their first two league matches and will aim to make it three out of three.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Real Madrid faces a notable fitness crunch heading into tonight\u2019s match, with manager Jos\u00e9 Mourinho forced to navigate seven confirmed first-team absentees.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The squad missed several key players during final group training sessions at Valdebebas. Defensive options are severely limited as \u00c9der Milit\u00e3o is sidelined with a hamstring injury, Ferland Mendy is out with a hip problem, and youngster Ra\u00fal Asencio is nursing a shin injury.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Thiago Pitarch and Rodrygo are completely ruled out due to knee injuries. The medical room filled up further after recent knocks sidelined Endrick and midfielder Aur\u00e9lien Tchouam\u00e9ni with muscle issues.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n To manage this depleted squad amidst a congested fixture list, Mourinho is expected to shake up his starting eleven.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Marc Cucurella is confirmed to make his first start at left-back ahead of \u00c1lvaro Carreras, while heavy squad rotation could also hand Trent Alexander-Arnold and Brahim D\u00edaz their first starts of the campaign.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n M\u00e1laga CF enters the Santiago Bernab\u00e9u facing an equally severe availability crisis, leaving manager Juan Funes with a massively depleted squad for this daunting away fixture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The newly promoted side is missing a core spine of players across all departments, heavily complicating their tactical setup against the league leaders.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In defence, the visitors will be without the experience of Fernando Calero, who is recovering from a broken rib, alongside Diego Murillo, who remains a long-term absentee with a cruciate ligament injury.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The midfield and attacking depth are also heavily impacted; dynamic youngster Aaron Ochoa is out following meniscus surgery, Moussa Diarra is sidelined with a soleus muscle injury, and forward Adri\u00e1n Ni\u00f1o is unavailable due to a thigh strain.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n These extensive absences force Funes to rely heavily on academy graduates and secondary squad options like Chupete and Larrubia to plug major gaps in the starting lineup.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Real Madrid enters this fixture in impressive form, sitting near the top of the table after securing a perfect start to their domestic season under Jos\u00e9 Mourinho. Los Blancos<\/a> have picked up a maximum of six points from their opening two matches, showing immense attacking fluency. They opened the campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 away victory against RCD Espanyol before thoroughly dominant displays at home, most recently dismantling Real Sociedad 4-1, powered by an incredible hat-trick from superstar Kylian Mbapp\u00e9<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n M\u00e1laga CF faces a much tougher reality upon their emotional return to Spain\u2019s top flight after an eight-year absence, struggling to build consistent momentum. Caretaker manager Juan Funes has seen his side capture just one point from their opening two games. They began the season with a demanding 2-0 defeat away at Atl\u00e9tico Madrid. However, they showed resilience in their second match, fighting back to earn a 1-1 home draw against fellow newly-promoted side Deportivo La Coru\u00f1a.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Real Madrid:<\/strong> Courtois; Arnold, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Silva, Valverde; Diaz, Bellingham, Vini Jr; Mbappe<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Malaga:<\/strong> Herrero; Puga, Recio, Galilea, Rafita; Lorenzo, Merino; Cruz, Dotor, Munoz; Chupe<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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\nReal Madrid vs Malaga\u00a0\u2013 Match preview and team news<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Real Madrid team news<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Malaga team news<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Form<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Real Madrid<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Malaga<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Predicted lineups<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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