Real Madrid 23-year-old midfielder emerges as a strong contender to start in El Clasico

Real Madrid 23-year-old midfielder emerges as a strong contender to start in El Clasico Real Madrid are set to take a trip to the Spotify Camp Nou to face Barcelona in the first league Clasico of the season. Los Blancos find themselves six points behind Barça as things stand and will be keen to close the gap to three on Sunday. Jose Mourinho will know that his team go into the fixture as slight underdogs and will have to stop Barça’s perfect run if they wish to take three points. Now, according to SPORT , Eduardo Camavinga could be handed a surprise starting role in Sunday’s El Clasico against Barcelona. His impressive performance against RB Leipzig has strengthened his chances of entering Mourinho’s starting eleven. Camavinga earns Mourinho’s trust ahead of El Clasico The France international returned to the starting lineup against RB Leipzig and delivered one of his most convincing performances in recent months. His resurgence comes after a difficult period that included a disappointing end to last season and a costly mistake against Bayern Munich. Eduardo Camavinga is in line for a start against Barcelona. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images) However, Mourinho refused to write him off, preferring to assess his qualities throughout pre-season. Camavinga’s confidence also received a boost following his return to the France national team under Zinedine Zidane in September. He had an excellent time with Les Bleus , impressing in midfield and returning to Mourinho’s squad with renewed confidence. Although his minutes at Real Madrid have remained limited, his Champions League appearance may have served as an audition for Sunday’s encounter. Mourinho could use Camavinga on the right side of midfield, with Arda Guler operating in a deeper creative role. It would be a similar approach to the one Real Madrid employed during last season’s 2-1 Clasico victory, when Camavinga disrupted Barcelona’s rhythm from the right flank. Why Camavinga could be valuable against Barcelona For this particular fixture, Camavinga’s appeal lies in his combination of defensive aggression and ball-carrying ability. Barcelona are expected to dominate possession at the Camp Nou, and one way Real Madrid could counter that is by disrupting their rhythm. Camavinga could help Real Madrid close down passing lanes, challenge Barcelona’s midfielders and recover possession in dangerous areas. Starting Camavinga would be a massive gamble from Mourinho. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) His ability to cover ground would also provide valuable support against Lamine Yamal and help Madrid double-team him. However, selecting him would involve a calculated risk. Having not played as much as he would have liked this season, this would be a massive gamble by Mourinho. Mourinho must also consider how his inclusion could coexist with Aurelien Tchouameni’s defensive prowess and Guler’s control in midfield. With Barcelona six points ahead, the Portuguese manager will have to get every single decision right tomorrow. If one of them is starting Camavinga, it remains to be seen how the Frenchman fares against Barça at the Camp Nou .