"This match is one of the toughest in the entire league. Their manager is very difficult... he has a lot of experience, he knows what he wants, his philosophy for his teams... it's going to be an extremely tough match. I'm a little scared of the game. 'Afraid' in quotes..."

José Mourinho's comments during his usual pre-match press conference leave no doubt about the respect he has for Valencia ahead of this encounter. The Portuguese manager knows how difficult the challenge at Mestalla will be.

There are also important implications for the LaLiga title race. Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid face each other on Sunday, meaning at least one of Real Madrid's rivals could drop points. Ideally for Mourinho, both teams would fail to collect all three points, provided Los Blancos manage to secure victory in what has become an increasingly hostile environment at Mestalla.

With that in mind, the Setúbal-born coach is expected to field a strong starting eleven, largely maintaining the lineup that has delivered impressive performances in recent matches, particularly since the Clásico victory over Barcelona at Camp Nou.

Courtois is expected to return between the posts after Lunin replaced him in the Clásico on October 25, when the Belgian was recovering from the flu.

Therefore, Mourinho's possible starting eleven against Valencia at Mestalla could be: Courtois; Valverde, Konaté, Huijsen, Cucurella; Bernardo, Tchouameni; Arda Güler, Bellingham, Diomande; and Mbappé.

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