Rafael Benitez has warned his Real Madrid players not to get ahead of themselves as they seek to maintain their position at the top of La Liga against struggling Malaga at the Bernabeu on Saturday night.

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Los Blancos overtook Barcelona for first place in the standings with a hard-earned midweek victory at Athletic Bilbao – their fourth consecutive league win.

And with the team performing well at both ends of the field, confidence is running high that they will be able to enjoy a successful campaign.

But Benitez cautioned: “A race isn’t won on the first bend and it will all come down to the last 10 games.

“The team are in good spirits. We’re full of confidence and in good shape to face what we have ahead of us. But this is only the beginning.”

Pepe is likely to join Sergio Ramos on the sidelines after picking up a minor injury in Bilbao, meaning that Nacho Fernandez is poised to make his first appearance of the season in the centre of defence.

But Benitez expressed his full confidence in the abilities of Raphael Varane to lead the team’s back four after an eye-catching performance on Wednesday night.

The Frenchman now finally looks ready to fulfil his undoubted potential after failing to significantly progress during the last couple of years, but Benitez downplayed the suggestion that Varane’s improvement can be credited to the influence of his new coach.

“When a player like Raphael does well it’s because he has been working so hard,” said Benitez. “That hard work reinforces the quality and potential he already possesses, and the competition for places helps him play even better.”

Benitez also insisted he will not rest Cristiano Ronaldo despite an unusually ineffective and tiredlooking performance from the Portuguese superstar in Bilbao.

The Madrid boss has repeatedly gone to great lengths to express Ronaldo’s importance for the team, and he did so again by stating: “If you know anything about football then you understand the most important player is the one capable of scoring at any moment.

“As Cristiano Ronaldo is the one who scores most frequently, it’s only logical that I wouldn’t take him off.”

Visiting Malaga travel to the Bernabeu at a low ebb after failing to score in any of their five league outings this season, which have resulted in two goalless draws and three 1-0 defeats.

But Benitez pointed to their strong resistance in one of those narrow losses, at Barcelona earlier in the month, as evidence that they will not be easy to beat.

“You could see in that game, Malaga are well organised and have a very clear playing style. The league table does not do them justice.”