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Zidane assesses his arsenal: Hazard, Asensio, Bale, Vinicius, Rodrygo, Lucas...

  /  autty

LaLiga Santander's return is edging ever closer and Zinedine Zidane is getting his Real Madrid ready.

It's probable that the side will look different compared to before the break, particularly in attack.

Thibaut Courtois is the goalkeeper and the only real doubt at the back is at left-back, where Marcelo and Ferland Mendy will continue battling for the spot they've shared all season.

Casemiro will remain key in midfield alongside combinations of Fede Valverde, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Isco, before the real chaos appears up top with 10 players to choose from.

Karim Benzema

The Frenchman is the No.9 and the attacking reference point.

He's the only attacker who, at the moment, has Zidane's complete and undying trust, even despite not being at his best before the break.

Benzema has more goals than anyone at Real Madrid and they'll be hoping he rediscovers the scoring touch he had earlier in the season.

Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio

In normal circumstances these two players would be enormously important, but there are concerns surrounding their fitness.

Asensio hasn't played for 10 months and Hazard is recovering from his own injury.

Care will be needed with both, especially Asensio, but they'll want to play a part in the remaining 11 games.

Gareth Bale and Vinicius Junior

While Asensio and Hazard recover, these are Zidane's best options to support Benzema.

The Brazilian has the coach's backing and he's been rewarding that trust with impressive performances.

Bale, though, hasn't had the best of seasons but Zidane does acknowledge that the Welshman has the ability to make a difference if he really wants to.

Rodrygo and Lucas Vazquez

Two reliable options that Zidane can call upon.

They're currently a long way from locking down a starting role, but Lucas has shown consistently in recent seasons that he can step up when needed, while Rodrygo has an explosiveness that not many can match.

Mariano Diaz, Luka Jovic and Brahim Diaz

At the bottom of the pecking order, these three will struggle for minutes.

The Serb has been injured for a month, Mariano hasn't returned to full training and Brahim has struggled for prominence this season.