Even after sitting at the epitome of club football, both Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid will take on Inter with a point to prove.

Mourinho will take on the side he last managed in the 2010 Champions League final, at the very stadium where the European giants will face each other tomorrow, Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

The Portuguese manager's counterpart will be one of his own players from that game, Cristian Chivu.

The former Inter defender and current manager replaced Simone Inzaghi last summer and achieved immediate success as the Nerazzurri won the domestic double last season.

Now, Chivu's side will take on the 15-time champions after three back-to-back wins in Serie A, providing them with much-needed confidence.

Los Blancos were handed their first defeat of the season by Real Betis in La Liga this past weekend and are looking to bounce back from the frustrating 1-0 loss.

Real Madrid will be without three of their midfielders, Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler, and Bernardo Silva, as they have been ruled out due to red cards received in their final Champions League games last season.

On the other hand, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eder Militao, Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy, Thiago Pitarch and Raul Asencio are yet to recover from their respective injuries.

The lack of quality midfield options can certainly have a lasting effect on these high-intensity games.

As a result, Mourinho has already started his preparations for the game with a number of reserve-team midfielders, and the latest summer signing, Sergio Martinez, is certainly in his plans for tomorrow's encounter against Inter.

For the visitors, full-back Djed Spence will remain sidelined for the game, as Jude Bellingham's fellow England international is still recovering from his injury, and Spence is yet to feature for his side in a competitive game since his €30 million-plus move from Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

Real Madrid:

GK: Thibaut Courtois

LB: Marc Cucurella

CB: Dean Huijsen

CB: Ibrahima Konate

RB: Denzel Dumfries

CM: Fede Valverde

MID: Jude Bellingham

MID: Brahim Diaz

RW: Yan Diomande

LW: Vinicius Junior

ST: Kylian Mbappe

Inter Milan: Josep Martinez; Alessandro Bastoni, Yann Bisseck, Manuel Akanji; Andy Diouf, Nicolo Barella, Curtis Jones, Hakan Calhanoglu, Federico Dimarco; Lisandro Martinez, Marcus Thuram.

Despite the notable absentees, Los Blancos have the more experienced squad on paper for tomorrow's Champions League clash at the Bernabeu, as the Whites look to start their European campaign on a high.