MADRID, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid face a vital Champions League game at home to Inter Milan on Tuesday night which will go a long way toward deciding their European future and perhaps the greater part of their season.
Zinedine Zidane's side have kicked off their European campaign with a 3-2 defeat at home to Shakhtar Donetsk and a 2-2 draw to Borussia Munchengladbach, which means they have to take all three points from their game at home to Inter otherwise not qualifying from their group could be a very real possibility.
Zidane will take heart from his side's performance at home to Huesca on Saturday when they cruised past the recently promoted side 4-1, but he will also be wary as the display in Munich a week ago came hot on the heels of Madrid's win away to FC Barcelona.
The Real Madrid coach rested Raphael Varane, Toni Kroos and Ferland Mendy at the weekend, although Mendy came into the game as a second-half substitute for Lucas Vazquez, whose displays as a makeshift right back will see him start due to injuries to Dani Carvajal, Alvaro Odriozola and Nacho Fernandez.
Eden Hazard should remain in the starting 11 after his return from injury, and Zidane will have to decide between Marco Asensio or Vinicius Jr to partner with the Belgian and Karim Benzema in attack.
Inter Milan's situation in the group isn't much better than Madrid's after drawing their opening games, and the Italians were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Parma at the weekend.
Key striker Romelu Lukaku is also set to sit out with a muscle injury, which will be a relief for the Real Madrid defense, while the Chilean Alexis Sanchez could be available after his injury problems.
Finally, defender Milan Skriniar should also be available after giving a negative test for COVID-19. Endite,
