Marcelo and Isco can drag injury-ravaged Real Madrid out of their funk

After four long weeks out of the Real Madrid team, Marcelo returned to regular training sessions on Tuesday morning. This means that the Brazilian will make the squad for the trip to Sevilla, where Real Madrid face Real Betis on Saturday. And of course, this also means that Zinedine Zidane's team recovers its attacking verve on the left flank.

During Marcelo's time nursing his umpteenth muscular injury, his replacements have done a fair job. With their respective strengths and weaknesses, Nacho Fernandez and Danilo have been able to cover for the Brazilian solidly enough, but of course neither brings to the table the ability to impact the flow of matches Marcelo possesses.

Not only can he break down defences with his ball skills and tireless movement, but he also commands extra attention from opposing wing players, to the extent that players known for their attacking expertise spend most of their matches against Real Madrid keeping an eye on the Brazilian.

On top of that, he has a gift to make his teammates better, especially those who play on his wing. Isco's best performances with Real Madrid in the past few seasons have come on the left side, with Marcelo behind him -- or to be fair, in front of him -- for most of the match. Lucas Vazquez has also shone playing with Marcelo, and even though the Welshman does not quite enjoy playing on the left, the minutes Gareth Bale has spent in that area with Marcelo as his partner have been devastating for Real Madrid's opponents.

The enthusiastic Brazilian comes back in the middle of another injury crisis in the squad. Starters such as Luka Modric, Casemiro and Sergio Ramos won't be able to play until the end of November, while James Rodriguez is also out of the squad. Zidane will have to reshuffle his cards, especially in midfield, where Toni Kroos -- who recently extended his contract -- needs all the help he can get.

And here's where the Marcelo-Isco tandem becomes important: With the scarcity of available players to support Kroos, Mateo Kovacic and Isco will have to step up and get Real Madrid out of the slump in form that has seen Zidane's team draw four consecutive matches. While the Croatian should occupy Modric's right side, Isco has the chance to impress in a role that, not being his preferred one, he's learned to perform in a solid, and at times splendid, manner.

Isco's agent recently assured the media that his client won't leave Madrid before the summer transfer window, which stands to reason, given Real Madrid's concerning tendency to suffer injuries and the questions regarding the club's ability to sign new players amid a looming transfer ban. At this point, Real Madrid can't afford to lose one single member of the squad, even less a talented midfielder who, despite not quite having made it big in the capital yet, has learned to work hard.

The Isco and Marcelo combo adds a few valuable elements to Real Madrid's starting lineup. Both are exceptional passers, and therefore are able to find the forwards in scoring positions more often than any other combination, including Modric and Dani Carvajal. They understand each other perfectly, so they know when to switch positions, something that often happens given Marcelo's frequent forays forward. And even though neither Isco nor Marcelo are great scorers -- Isco scored 11 times in his first season with Real Madrid, but never managed more than six in the next two seasons, while Marcelo has only broken the 10-goal mark once in his 10 seasons in Madrid -- both represent enough of an attacking threat so that they can distract defences, opening up space for more-talented strikers.

Their main downside is also clear: Neither is a great defender, and even though both have improved their positioning and discipline in the past couple of seasons, they're far from being naturals.

However, given the profile of those injured and what's left on the bench, Isco and Marcelo should rank high in the list of alternatives Zidane will examine for the next four to six matches. And if we judge by what they've done in the past, the French manager is in good hands.