Real Madrid Set to man mark Argentine in the Clasico

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Real are league leaders after the Calderon... and the Camp Nou

Zinedine Zidane is set to deploy a pragmatic mindset once again for Real Madrid's fixture with Barcelona next weekend, with Mateo Kovacic expected to play a big part.

In Real Madrid's last visit to the Camp Nou it was Casemiro who did the necessary dirty work from the heart of midfield, strangling the Blaugrana to just three shots on Keylor Navas' goal in a 2-1 comeback win for the capital club.

However, the Brazilian's absence, at least from the start, requires an alternative option in central midfield and luckily for Zidane, Kovacic has stepped up with aplomb.

A consistent fixture in the team since Casemiro picked up a leg fracture, the former Inter starlet has impressed with an unrelenting work rate, strong agility, and a useful physical edge perhaps missing in some of his colleagues' approach.

While not yet the complete footballer, Kovacic is set to be trusted with the man-marking role on Lionel Messi on Saturday, just as Casemiro was in April, as Zidane aims for a repeat of the victory and even more room to breathe atop LaLiga.