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Real Madrid host Sporting Gijon at the Santiago Bernabeu hoping to maintain their four-point lead to FC Barcelona before facing the Catalans at the Camp Nou in a week's time.
Gareth Bale and Raphael Varane will not be available, but key starters Casemiro and Pepe are back with the team after missing the last games with injuries. Sergio Ramos is one yellow card away from missing El Clasico but Zinedine Zidane confirmed during the pre-match press conference that the Spanish defender will be in the starting XI, so Ramos will have to be very careful throughout the entire match.
Other than that, Zidane will likely want to give Casemiro some minutes off the bench. Modric, Isco and Kovacic would play in the midfield and then Lucas Vazquez, Asensio and James Rodriguez would be fighting for a spot in the starting lineup replacing the injured Gareth Bale, who will miss up to three months with an ankle injury.
Real Madrid Projected XI: Navas, Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo, Modric, Kovacic, Isco, Lucas Vazquez, Ronaldo, Benzema.
Sporting Gijon Projected XI: Mariño, Lillo, Amorebieta, Mere, Canella, Carmona, Cases, Alvarez, Lopez, Viguera, Cop.