Predicted XIs Real Madrid-Getafe: Two big decisions for Arbeloa

Real Madrid return to La Liga action on Monday night with a local derby clash against Getafe at the Bernabeu. Barcelona’s victory over Villarreal on Saturday means that Alvaro Arbeloa’s side are four points adrift in the La Liga title race, but that deficit will be reduced to one with a victory.

It’s not been ideal preparation for this match for Real Madrid, who have lost Kylian Mbappe for the next couple of weeks at least. Eduardo Camavinga is also a doubt after he missed Sunday’s training session, although the good news is the return of Dean Huijsen, who is expected to be named in the squad.

As per Diario AS, Arbeloa has two doubts going into the match with Getafe, and at the heart of them are Camavinga and Huijsen. The former will start if he is deemed fit enough to play, but if not, the likelihood is that he would be replaced by Brahim Diaz. As for Huijsen, he has chances to be named in the line-up, although it is more likely that Antonio Rudiger and David Alab are selected.

As for Getafe, they are without the suspended Djene, who was sent off last weekend against Sevilla. Mario Martin is poised to replace him in the centre of midfield, with one further change seeing Diego Rico coming in for Abdelkabir Aqbar.

Real Madrid cannot afford back-to-back defeats

Real Madrid lost last time out in La Liga, with Osasuna emerging as 2-1 winner at El Sadar last Saturday. That result saw Los Blancos lose their place at the top of the table, and with Barcelona now four clear, they cannot afford to drop points for the second weekend in a row.

However, it could to be a frustrating evening for Real Madrid, with Getafe very capable of restricting their attacking play. If that happens, it may end up being a difficult 90 minutes.