Keylor Navas wants to be vindicated as Casillas was

More than a month after his last appearance for Real Madrid, Keylor Navas will return to action against Leganes in the Copa del Rey.

With his contract recently renewed until June 2021, the goalkeeper who has helped Los Blancos to three consecutive Champions League titles is now in a situation where the Copa is his only showcase.

After not being chosen against CSKA Moscow in an inconsequential Champions League that ended the group stage, he will take part in his ninth club game of the season against Leganes, in addition to another two with his country.

A starter in the Super Cup and in the early matches of the league campaign as well as the Copa del Rey and Champions League, his role as second choice was confirmed with the arrival of Santiago Solari on the bench and the decision in Plzen that was Thibaut Courtois become undisputed No.1.

Wednesday night's game will be Navas' 18th in the Copa, with 11 of those coming during his time at Levante.

Beyond his current situation and desire to prove himself and step out of Courtois' shadow, the Copa does hold a particular challenge for the Costa Rican.

It is the only trophy that he has yet to win since joining Real Madrid.

Since his arrival at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu after the World Cup in Brazil, he has been the main man in triumphs in the Champions League, LaLiga Santander, Supercoppa de Espana, European Super Cup and the Club World Cup.

Therefore, this year's domestic cup holds a special place for Navas, as he adjusts to a bench role that he hasn't had since 2014/15 when he played in only 11 games, five of which came in the Copa del Rey.

The following season, he took on the gloves after the departure of Iker Casillas from Madrid and it began the Navas era as he was the man between the posts when the club lifted the Champions League for three successive seasons.

Without knowing if Keylor is in his final months as a Real Madrid player, the scenario he is in right now has similar traces to the season in which Casillas and Diego Lopez fought it out for the jersey.

In 2013/14, Carlo Ancelotti decided that Lopez was his goalkeeper for the league and Casillas for the cup competitions.

The result was that the then Real captain lifted the trophy in both competitions in which he started.

On April 16 at the Mestalla, Casillas held aloft the Copa del Rey after Gareth Bale's wonder goal which settled El Clasico.

On May 24, in Lisbon, it was the Champions League which he lifted on the night that La Decima was finally won as he secured his third Champions League triumph in 16 seasons at the Bernabeu.