Real Madrid v Sevilla preview and possible lineups

Real and Sevilla are tied on points, but Madrid are one place above their rivals on fourth. Zidane's men will look to close the eight-point gap with Barcelona while the visitors could climb up to third with a surprise upset in the Spanish capital.

Despite taking part in training on Friday, Gareth Bale will not play this weekend as he continues his recovery from a calf muscle injury, with Raphael Varane joining him as an absentee after picking up a knock during the midweek Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund.

"They are a Champions League team that has had a great season," Zidane said. "It's going to be a very difficult game against a good team. They are good on paper and have been playing very well lately."

Sevilla midfielder Pablo Sarabia urged his team to tackle Real: "It's going to be difficult, but we are ready," he told www.sevillafc.es. "We know we need to counter their weapons, which are many."

"We have to be conscious not to drop our concentration for even 10 minutes. It's a beautiful stage. Camp Nou and the Bernabeu are the hardest away matches, but we need to see that as an extra incentive. If we win, it will be a double boost in confidence."

Zidane will also be without Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal, due to a combination of injury and suspension, while reserve centre-back Jesus Vallejo has recovered from a knock.

As for Sevilla, David Soria, Franco Vazquez, Nolito and Johannes Geis should all return to the team after sitting out the clash with Maribor. Jesus Navas is also pushing for a position in the lineup due to his counter-attacking abilities, but Wissam Ben Yedder, who is the team's joint-top scorer in La Liga this season, will keep his spot at centre-forward ahead of Luis Muriel.

Recent form: 

Potential lineups: 

Real Madrid: Navas; Achraf, Nacho, Vallejo, Marcelo; Kroos, Kovacic, Modric; Ronaldo, Benzema, Isco

Sevilla: Soria; Mercado, Geis, Lenglet, Escudero; Vazquez, Pizarro, Banega; Navas, Ben Yedder, Sarabia