Yan Diomande will make his second successive start for Real Madrid when Jose Mourinho’s side travel to Elche on Tuesday for their sixth Liga match of the season.
The game, which kicks off at 21:30 GMT+2, will provide another opportunity for the Ivorian to impress after he was used largely as a substitute earlier in the campaign. His performance will also be followed closely ahead of Herve Renard’s squad announcement for Cote d’Ivoire.
Diomande started for the first time in Real Madrid’s 4-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano on Saturday. However, the player described as the most expensive African footballer in history struggled to make a significant impact during the match.
Arda Guler, who replaced him, was viewed by many observers as having strengthened his position in the competition between the two players. Mourinho has nevertheless selected both men in his starting line-up at Elche, with Jude Bellingham instead given a place on the bench. Morocco international Brahim Diaz is also among the substitutes.
Diomande is still waiting for his first goal since joining Real Madrid and will hope to take advantage of a less convincing Elche defence.
Real Madrid have collected 12 points from their opening five Liga fixtures. They have beaten Real Sociedad 4-1, Espanyol 2-1, Malaga 4-0 and Rayo Vallecano 4-1, with their only defeat coming away to Betis.
That 1-0 loss included a missed penalty by Kylian Mbappe, who has otherwise made a strong start to the campaign. The France forward has scored seven goals in six appearances in all competitions, including twice in the win over Rayo Vallecano.
Real Madrid have scored 14 goals and conceded four in the league, giving them the second-best attacking record in the division behind FC Barcelona.
Elche, in contrast, are still searching for their first victory since returning to the top flight. The promoted club have taken only two points from five matches.
They began with a 1-1 draw against Deportivo La Coruna before losing three games in a row: 5-0 against Barcelona, 3-2 against Racing Santander and 3-2 against Real Sociedad.
Elche ended that run on Saturday by drawing 1-1 at Athletic in Bilbao. Facundo Buonanotte scored their goal from the penalty spot.
Martin Anselmi’s side have scored six times but conceded 13, leaving them with the second-worst defensive record in Liga. Their meeting with Real Madrid represents another demanding test, while Diomande will be seeking the first goal of his Real Madrid career.