Real Madrid host Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday in their last LaLiga game before heading off to the Club World Cup in Japan, and it seems Zinedine Zidane is set to ring the changes again with Isco and Mateo Kovacic being handed starts against the Galicians.
The Frenchman had all of his squad available - bar Gareth Bale - for the Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund, but decided to rest the midfield pairing with a view to bringing them back in for this league game.
Since the absences of Casemiro and Toni Kroos, Zidane has been able to call upon Isco and Kovacic but now that everyone is back and fit again, it's handed the coach a problem.
Ditto James Rodriguez who put in his best performance this season against the Germans.
However, it is a problem that most coaches profess to wanting to have - genuine competition for places.
Weigl option
The Champions League meeting was also notable for other reasons.
In addition to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Real have let it be known that they wish to have first refusal on the services of Ousmane Dembele and Julian Weigl.
Cordial relations between the two clubs could see a deal materialise for one or all three players in the near future.Raphael Varane and Karim Benzema scored either side of an Adrien Silva penalty to hand Madrid a 2-1 triumph in their penultimate group stage fixture in the Champions League.
However, Kovacic's contributions in defence as well as possession build-ups were just as crucial towards helping Madrid barely sneak a win past Sporting CP, just as they did in the corresponding home fixture.
Coach Zinedine Zidane fielded his predecessor's 32 million euro signing in a midfield four for the second game in a row, with the Croatian duo flanked by Gareth Bale on the left and Lucas Vazquez on the right.
Clearly high on confidence after a consistent run of appearances in the first team, Kovacic showed great enthusiasm to get on the ball at every opportunity.
However, the former Inter man's biggest strength in terms of passing is his willingness to keep it simple.
This may purely be a side-effect of the fact that he doesn't boast the most lavish passing range, but it's a trait that served the team well in Lisbon nonetheless.
In a midfield four with Isco on top and Cristiano Ronaldo further up, Kovacic had plenty of options to choose from when wanting to move the ball.
But the Croat also acted as an effective pressure release valve, making himself available as an outlet particularly for Modric, who still isn't at the very top of his game following his return from injury not too long ago.
Kovacic's willingness to be a central cog in ball circulation was reflected on the stats sheet, with the former Dinamo Zagreb player completing 33 of his 34 passes in the first half, with all 15 of his passes in the opposition's territory finding their way to a teammate.
When he didn't see an obvious pass, he didn't hesitate to dribble and carry the ball upfield to help his team earn yards on their rivals.
However, the 22-year-old was arguably even handier off the ball, regularly winning tackles to break down Sporting CP attacks.
With a combination of speed, controlled aggression, and precision in the tackle, Kovacic's defending was simply brilliant at times.
Considering that Zidane recently stated that the BBC will start most games, this would necessitate the use of a midfield three, meaning that there's every chance Kovacic can continue to enjoy playing time as a starter even after Toni Kroos returns from injury.
If the Croatian carries on from his performances against Atletico Madrid and now Sporting CP, a certain Casemiro may return from injury only to find himself warming the bench.
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