Real Madrid will make their Copa del Rey debut on Monday, facing Deportiva Minera, a team from Murcia competing in the Second RFEF Division, equivalent to the old Third Division.

The match will take place at Cartagena’s Cartagonova Stadium, on natural grass and in a venue with decent capacity—factors that, on paper, should favour Los Blancos.

Nevertheless, coach Carlo Ancelotti plans to take advantage of the difference in quality between the teams to rotate his players while fielding a squad capable of securing victory ahead of their trip to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup.

Who will play for Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey?

Two key players, Thibaut Courtois and Antonio Rüdiger, will not travel to Cartagena, as both have been given a rest. Andriy Lunin will start in goal, although Ancelotti refrained from designating the Ukrainian as the team’s designated Cup goalkeeper during a press conference. For now, however, he will take the reins in this competition.

In defence, only Aurélien Tchouaméni is expected to retain his starting spot from the recent match against Valencia. At right-back, Lucas Vázquez is likely to rest, giving Castilla player Lorenzo Aguado the opportunity to make his debut. Alongside Aguado in central defense will be Marvelous Asencio, who is already integrated into the senior squad. At left-back, Ferland Mendy will make way for Fran García, who will gain valuable minutes.

In midfield, Eduardo Camavinga and Luka Modrić will start after being substituted during the match at Mestalla. Both were crucial to Real Madrid’s comeback after entering in the second half. They will be joined by Arda Güler, who will play as an attacking midfielder, a role he frequently occupied in Turkey.

This match coincides with Güler’s one-year anniversary as a Real Madrid player, having made his debut on January 6, 2024, in a Copa del Rey match against Arandina. Although Güler has recently been recovering from a mild flu, he is expected to be available for Ancelotti.

Possible Real Madrid XI:

GK: Lunin

DEF: Lorenzo - Tchouaméni - Asencio - Fran García

MID: Güler - Camavinga - Modric

ATT: Brahim - Endrick - Rodrygo

In attack, Rodrygo will continue as a starter, playing on the left wing—his favored position but one he rarely occupies due to the presence of Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé’s tendency to drift to that side. This match offers the Brazilian an opportunity to redeem himself following an inconsistent performance at Mestalla. On the right wing, Brahim Díaz will start after an impressive cameo in Valencia, where his contributions were instrumental in securing the equalizer. Up front, Endrick will finally get a chance to start, something he hasn’t done since October 2nd, when Real Madrid faced Lille.