Preview: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona

Luis Suarez could make his long-awaited Barcelona debut when they travel to Real Madrid for the first El Clasico of the La Liga season on Saturday evening.

The Uruguayan striker joined Barca from Liverpool for £75m this summer but has been prevented from playing by the worldwide ban handed to him for his bite of Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup.

He watched the last game during his suspension on Tuesday evening as the Catalan giants recorded a 3-1 home victory over Ajax in the Champions League, in which Lionel Messi and Neymar both scored.

Luis Enrique may be tempted to start Suarez alongside his fellow South Americans, who have each netted in all of Barcelona's last five games, in a formidable forward line when they visit their biggest rivals.

Madrid themselves come into the game on the back of an impressive European result, having put Liverpool to the sword to win 3-0 at Anfield, with Cristiano Ronaldo notching before Karim Benzema's brace.

Ronaldo has a staggering 20 goals in 15 appearances this season and undoubtedly presents the biggest test yet of a Barcelona defence which has yet to be breached in their unbeaten start to the campaign.

Twenty-two points from eight games see Barca top the standings by three points from Sevilla, with Madrid one further back in third having recovered from two early defeats to win five La Liga matches on the spin.

Gareth Bale missed out on a return to British soil with a hip problem which will also sideline him from the encounter at the Bernabeu, so Isco will keep his place as one of three attacking midfielders.

El Clasico veteran Sergio Ramos is also a fitness doubt having picked up a calf injury. Raphael Varane is again in line to deputise in a defence which could feature Dani Carvajal rather than Alvaro Arbeloa at right-back.

Should Enrique gamble on Suarez, Pedro is the most likely to make way and other members of Barca's golden generation, Xavi and Gerard Pique, could strangely find themselves on the fringes of Clasico chaos.

Ivan Rakitic has nailed down Xavi's place in midfield, while Jeremy Mathieu's return to fitness puts Pique's inclusion in jeopardy, should Javier Mascherano be deployed in the centre of defence. Claudio Bravo will be recalled in goal after Marc-Andre ter Stegen was given a go in midweek.

Barcelona won both La Liga matches between the teams last season before Carlo Ancelotti's side gained revenge in the Copa del Rey final.

Recent form

Real: WWWWWW

Barcelona: WWWLWD

Possible starting lineups

Real: Casillas; Carvajal, Pepe, Varane, Marcelo; Kroos, Modric; James, Isco, Ronaldo, Benzema

Barcelona: Bravo; Alves, Pique, Mathieu, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta; Neymar, Messi, Suarez

Sports Mole says: 2-2