Real Madrid summer signing set for first start of the season against Racing Santander or AEK Athens – report

Real Madrid summer signing set for first start of the season against Racing Santander or AEK Athens – report Real Madrid secured an important victory over Barcelona, giving Jose Mourinho a huge boost and strengthening his belief that his project is on the right track. The Portuguese manager now faces the challenge of maintaining that momentum through a demanding run of fixtures. With several important matches approaching, Real Madrid may look to rotate the squad to reduce fatigue and keep everyone fresh and fit. According to AS (h/t Madrid Zone ), Carlos Espi is expected to receive his first start of the season in one of Los Blancos ‘ next two matches. Real Madrid face Racing Santander on November 1 and AEK Athens in the Champions League on November 4, and Espi could start one of those two games. Espi finally approaching his first start The 21-year-old Spanish striker has been one of Real Madrid’s most underrated summer arrivals despite playing very few minutes. Signed from Levante for €25 million , Espi has already scored three competitive goals, all from the bench. His late winners against Espanyol and Elche helped Los Blancos secure four valuable La Liga points, and his goal against AS Roma helped Real Madrid spark a remarkable comeback. Carlos Espi has impressed so far in the limited minutes he has received. (Photo by Francisco Macia/Getty Images) However, the Spanish forward has yet to start a competitive match for Los Blancos , with Kylian Mbappe’s presence proving to be a stumbling block. Mourinho has spoken about this situation in the past, admitting that accommodating another striker alongside the Frenchman was very difficult. Nevertheless, he has also praised Espi’s contribution whenever called upon and looks set to reward him in the upcoming games. Mourinho has an interesting decision to make Real Madrid face Racing Santander before travelling to Greece for their fourth Champions League fixture. With the Merengues having won their opening three European matches, Mourinho has some flexibility to rotate, although neither opponent can be taken lightly. Can Carlos Espi and Kylian Mbappe potentially play together? (Photo by Francisco Macia/Getty Images) Interestingly, Vinicius Jr. remains suspended for the Racing encounter but will be available against AEK Athens. His absence in La Liga could allow Mourinho to experiment with Espi centrally and potentially move Mbappe into a wider position. Such an arrangement would offer Real Madrid a different attacking structure. Espi provides an aerial presence and a natural reference point inside the penalty area that could be useful in certain games. There is also the question of Endrick, who has been competing for attacking opportunities and remains another option for the Portuguese manager. It remains to be seen how Espi fares on his first start for Real Madrid and whether he can maintain the same effectiveness he has shown off the bench.