Real Madrid is concerned about the Club World Cup's official start date. A brutal schedule and a ticking time bomb at the beginning of 2023 will put the team to the test with 17 games in less than 60 days.

From December 30 to February 26 there is no rest. The Spanish Super Cup, Club World Cup, Copa del Rey, LaLiga Santander, and the Champions League are played in between. The defending European champions face an enormous challenge.

After the World Cup, Los Blancos will have a demanding two-month stretch of two games per week (assuming they continue to play in the Copa and Supercopa) until the big match at Anfield, which will be followed by the Madrid derby against Atletico.

A marathon of 17 games spread across five competitions and three countries over the course of 59 days. Return from Qatar to Spain, flight to Riyadh (Arabia), return to Madrid, flight to Morocco, return to the Spanish capital and flight to Liverpool. In between, league matches against Athletic Club, Real Sociedad or Valencia, and the possible bombshells that the Copa del Rey may bring.

In fact, Real Madrid's LaLiga match against Elche on February 12 will be postponed as it coincides with the Club World Cup final. The problem comes when the most reasonable date to make up that game would be in the only empty week available to Carlo Ancelotti's side (March 1), so they would not have the slightest rest there either.

In such a scenario, Ancelotti will be put to the test because he will have to call upon a depth of the squad that has not been used in previous seasons. Nacho Fernandez, Dani Ceballos, Eden Hazard, and others need to make a comeback.

REAL MADRID'S CALENDAR

Friday 30 December: La Liga. Valladolid-Real Madrid

Wednesday 4 January: Copa del Rey (round of 32)

Saturday 7 January: La Liga. Villarreal-Real Madrid

Wednesday, 11 January: Super Cup. Real Madrid-Valencia

Sunday 15 January: Super Cup final (if it happens)

Wednesday 18 January: Copa del Rey (round of 16)

Sunday 22 January: La Liga. Athletic-Real Madrid

Wednesday 25 January: Copa del Rey (quarter-finals)

Sunday 29 January: La Liga. Real Madrid-Real Sociedad

Thursday 2 February: La Liga. Real Madrid-Valencia

Sunday 5 February: La Liga. Mallorca-Real Madrid

Wednesday 8 February: Mundialito. Semifinals

Sunday 12 February: Mundialito: Final and League: Real Madrid-Elche*.

Wednesday 15 February: Copa del Rey. Semifinals

Sunday 19 February: La Liga. Osasuna-Real Madrid

Tuesday 21 February: Champions League. Liverpool-Real Madrid

Sunday, 26 February: La Liga. Real Madrid-Atlético

*R. Madrid-Elche postponed to 7 or 8 March to coincide with the Club World Cup.