Jose Mourinho's 100% start to the LaLiga season came to an end over the weekend, as his old Tottenham striker Troy Parrott snatched a 1-0 win for Real Betis, to end Los Blancos' perfect run of form in August.
Big Champions League nights back in the Spanish capital are part of the reason Mourinho opted to return to the club this summer and a clash with another of his old sides holds plenty of narratives for the Portuguese coach.
The main squad news for the home side is the triple absence of Bernardo Silva, Arda Guler and Eduardo Camavinga, due to Champions League suspension rules.
Real Madrid team news v Inter Milan
All three players will miss out after being red carded in their final European game of last season and Guler and Camavinga both started against Betis.
Marc Cucurella was forced off with cramp in that game, so Alvaro Carreras could start, with the fit-again Aurelien Tchouameni potentially replacing Camavinga in midfield.
Yan Diomande has not started a game for Real Madrid this season - following his club record £120M (€140M) move from RB Leipzig - and this could be a perfect chance for Mourinho to ease him in as an alternate for Guler.
Real Madrid predicted XI v Inter Milan
Courtois; Dumfries, Konate, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni; Diomande, Bellingham, Vinicius Junor; Mbappe.
Real Madrid v Inter Milan kick off time
Mourinho takes on his former employers with a 9pm kickoff local time (8pm UK) at the Estadio Bernabeu.
Key fact
Real Madrid have won all four Champions League clashes with Inter, across the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns, before progressing on to beat Liverpool in the latter final.