Zidane's toughest test as Ronaldo, Bale & probably Benzema set to miss Super Cup Tonight

The UEFA Super Cup clash in Trondheim represents an opportunity for some of the fringe players as Los Blancos seek to start the season with a trophy against SevillaThe toughest test yet for Zinedine Zidane. The 44-year-old is without at least five and quite possibly six of the team that led Real Madrid to the Champions League trophy against Atletico in May. To claim another title on Tuesday, he must coax the best from his side's second string.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Keylor Navas, Toni Kroos and Pepe are all out, while Karim Benzema is a big doubt for Los Blancos ahead of the UEFA Super Cup clash against Sevilla in Trondheim on Tuesday.
Ronaldo remains sidelined after injuring his knee in the final of Euro 2016 and is not back from holiday, while Bale only returned to training a few days ago and has stayed behind in Madrid along with Kroos. Navas and Pepe miss out through inury.
In the meantime, Benzema also seems unlikely to start after failing to feature for a single minute in pre-season due to a hip problem.
"The absence of the 'BBC' doesn't bother me," Zidane said in the pre-match press conference on Monday. And he added: "I'm not going to risk anything with Karim [Benzema], as I'm just happy he is here with us now without any more problems.
"I'm excited for the season to start. We are ready."
Alvaro Morata, who returned to the club in the summer in a buy-back deal from Juventus, is set to start in Trondheim, although the Spain striker did not manage a single goal on Madrid's pre-season trip to North America.
Jese has left Real to join Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, so there will likely be chances for Isco and James Rodriguez, with Lucas Vazquez in line to start and Marco Asensio also in the frame after impressing this summer.
Despite the absences, youngster Martin Odegaard is not in the squad in his native Norway, and Zidane admitted the player will struggle for first-team action this season. "He needs to play," the Frenchman said. "But it's difficult because we have a lot of players."
Not against Sevilla, however, and Zidane has even called up his son Luca as the third goalkeeper with Navas still sidelined. Kiko Casilla will start in the Costa Rican's absence.

Sevilla, meanwhile, are also unrecognisable from the team that lifted a third successive Europa League trophy in May.
Coach Unai Emery has left for PSG, replaced at the Sanchez Pizjuan by former Chile boss Jorge Sampaoli, while Kevin Gameiro, Ever Banega, Coke and Grzegorz Krychowiak have all departed in a flurry of summer sales that has also seen Fernando Llorente, Jose Antonio Reyes and Ciro Immobile exit the club.
A number of new players have come in, including Luciano Vietto, Matias Kranevitter (those two on loan), Ganso, Wissam Ben Yedder, Gabriel Mercado and Joaquin Correa. And they are in for a tough start because after facing Madrid, Sevilla meet Barcelona over two legs in the Spanish Supercopa.
"I'm happy to play this final," Sampaoli said on Monday. "It's a big responsibility. We hope to implant our new style on this club as soon as possible. It's good to win, but the most important thing is the way we play."For Madrid, however, it is precisely the opposite. With the 'BBC' out, their style will be different but, as ever for Los Blancos, only winning will be seen as acceptable.